Frustrated

:cursing: That's cute. I agree with Janet, maybe you have hit a sweet spot. Are you still burping today? I envy you being able to eat bread. Well, sometimes I do. I know I'm better off without it. Still, it doesn't stop me fantasizing about sinking my teeth into a sandwich every once in a while. :angry_smile: My little guy is home from school today. He has an upset tummy. I e-mailed his teacher about his absence and she replied that she's had a few kids out this week with the same complaint. :smile2: Schools are breeding grounds for all kinds of nasties. He kind of messed up my routine and I could easily have stayed home this morning instead of doing my usual treadmill workout. But yanno, this morning ritual has become more of a benefit for my head than for my body. That's a good thing! I feel so much better starting my day this way. :biggrin2: Will check back in later. Have a fab day ladies. Drink Drink Drink!

Congratulations knd! :biggrin2:

Do you not have to stay on liquids for a couple of days? A lot of us do, but not all doctors have the same advice. I can actually feel swelling in my port area where the needle has gone in and there's bruising and tenderness there. I stay on the liquids to allow any swelling in the area to settle. On my last fill, I was also burping a LOT. I had the water sitting in my throat/chest feeling as well. I switched to drinking hot liquids and that feeling improved. The burping drove me insane. It was actually a sign to me that I was too tight. But I ignored it for 3-4 weeks because I was losing weight fairly quickly. But I was miserable the whole time. My suggestion would be to stick with liquids as much as possible tomorrow. Try them at different temperatures to see how your body reacts. As I mentioned, mine prefers hot liquids, but I've read many posters say the opposite and can only tolerate the cold.

Thanks for your awesome post Karri. This first paragraph is what hit me this morning. Right now I'm on a plateau and I feel like I'm still (a lot of the time) paranoid about what I eat. Every day I have to fight with my head about what I should be eating and doing. It's always different to what I want to be eating and doing. It's tiring. :sad: It really is. And I made the realisation, as you pointed out, that maintenance doesn't have any rewards. It's going to take a lot of work for no results. :wink2: But you also made me realise that in spite of my weight staying the same, I am actually losing size. The size 12 jeans I bought last month are loose on me. I need new exercise clothes because they're loose as well. Even the bandeau on my bra is loose. So I'm lucky there. And I wouldn't have realised it if you hadn't made me stop and think. This extra hunger is the pits though. I should have shares in the Orbit Gum company because I'm going through at least a pack a day. Sometimes two. :thumbup: But there are times when I need something more. My problem seems to be not being able to stop eating once I start. If I have a snack, it turns into a meal size. I've stopped buying the 100 Calorie Cookie snacks because I couldn't stop at 1 pack per snack session. I was eating 2 or 3. Now I've switched to drinking coffee or a cup of soup. It doesn't always stop me from wanting to eat. But I don't think anything will. When the hunger is bad I'll have popcorn. But even then I want more. Sometimes it's just so HARD to not be hungry that it brings me to tears. :crying:When I can no longer hold off the demons you would think it would bring me some kind of comfort or satisfaction. It doesn't. I makes me feel worse.:thumbup::sad_smile::smile: I need to start looking at things differently. I've been thinking about this over the past couple of hours. I'm 25lbs from my target goal. I've never been that close. It's really not that far away. A year ago I was 90lbs from my target weight and it seemed insurmountable. I remember how it felt the be that fat. I've never been so depressed and self-loathing. Right now I'm annoyed, frustrated and impatient. But I'm still better off! I just have to keep remembering that. Live in the present, the future will come, the past is the past. One day and one pound at a time. Thank you so much for getting up on your soap box for me. I really do appreciate it. You help make this difficult journey all the more easier to bear.

Good morning everyone. :biggrin2: It was a quiet weekend for me. Hubby has been up in Edmonton since Friday for his mother's service. I didn't realise how much I rely on him to keep me honest as far as food goes. I've increased my exercise activity, but unfortunately it's increased my appetite. :sad: It's so hard trying to keep on track. I can't visit here too often in the weekend for a pep talk because my son makes claims to the computer. Possession is 9/10ths and when we're not out doing stuff, he's usually on my PC. :thumbup: My weight hasn't changed this week. It's been 175 for a couple of weeks now. But I'm not really too concerned. I'm probably not working as hard as I could or should to discipline myself, but on the other hand I'm a little worried that maintaining is going to take more of an effort than I realised. I don't know why it's taken me so long to get THAT clue. It's not like I've ever been able to maintain a healthy weight. Last week I increased my speed and incline level on the treadmill. It's not as tough as the first time I worked out at this higher level. I'm no longer cussing Janet. :wink2: But I noticed this morning that I didn't have to work as hard. So that has me a little concerned as well. My fitness level is increasing, but my weight has plateaued. *sigh* Somebody just give me a magic formula that I can stick with and not have to keep adjusting and calculating all the time. I don't care if it's hard, I just want something that works! :tt2: I think what I'll do is carry on with my regular morning cardio on the treadmill and increase and vary my other gym exercises. I did weights and rowing on Friday and I was quite surprised that it went as well as it did. I used to hate rowing because my mummy tummy was always getting in the way. It's not so bad now. I worked on my upper body with weights as well. I'm trying to fix my bat wings. They're not super bad, but they make a flapping sound when I'm drying myself after showering. :thumbup: I might try swimming as well. I haven't been in the pool since I had my first boob op in November, so maybe I should add that to my routine as well. Well that's enough rambling from me for now. Have a wonderful day! DRINK, DRINK, DRINK! :smile:

Here's what I think.... I have my goal set at 13 hours (I may adjust it higher this month). I calculated that on the fact it gave me 26x30min workouts. 30/31 days in a month, so it gave me about a day a week that I could take off if I wasn't feeling too good. I have days once in a while where I'll have more energy to burn, so I'll do another workout on the elliptical or treadmill. This will help me build a buffer in case I get sick or get injured. For me, I only calculate these designated workouts into my routine. As I've mentioned before, I walk everywhere because I don't drive. And sometimes I'll just go for a walk around the neighborhood to get some fresh air and to "blow off some stink" as my dad would say. :cool2: I don't add these minutes to my exercise totals. If you're going to take these extra walks and things into account, then the 15 hours you're considering probably isn't too extreme. Having said that though, I think for a first goal you should shoot a little lower so as not to risk getting too discouraged if you get halfway through the month and find you're nowhere near the halfway point in your goal. :tongue:

If you ask the perfectionist me, it will tell you that you need to try to do both. There's a big risk of failure. But Madam Perfect doesn't take that into consideration. You should push yourself. If you ask the sensible me, it will tell you that there are other marathons. Many, many, many more to come. Miss Sensible will get herself healthy and injury free first and then reach for those past unobtainable goals that are now no longer quite so unobtainable on another day when she's 100%. The choice is still yours sweetie, and I couldn't honestly tell you which one I would choose as I'm far too fickle.

Questions for Karri, and anyone else crazy enough to run. I looked at the Couch to 5k workout schedule. And I'm thinking about it. I don't know if I'm serious or not yet, but I'll give the first workout a shot tomorrow and see how I go. My questions: Should the incline be set to 0? How fast should I be running? Talk to me in percentages. 50% means I can still hold a conversation while puffing and panting. 75% means I can't talk but I'm not dying. 100% would be if I were running away from a hungry lion.

Janet, did you hear me cursing you this morning? I set my incline up another degree to 6 and my speed up .2 points to 4.1. I'm pooped! Halfway through I was complaining "This is all Janet's stupid idea!". But obviously I'm still alive to moan about it, and that's a good thing. :biggrin2: It's made me extra thirsty too, so I'm started on my first bottle of water already. Have a wonderful day ladies. I'll be back with my clipboard a little later to tally up your water intake. :smile2:

Oh so she did. I'm glad someone's paying attention. No brownie points, brownies are bad for you. As a reward you get to wear this really pretty hat. :blushing: It'll also protect you from aliens and a nuclear fallout. :sad:

That was an interesting post and made a lot of sense. Warning: Thinking out loud ahead. :sad: :biggrin2: I need to re-evaluate things I think. I'm really lazy and don't bother with a food log. I think it would do me a lot of good if I knew exactly what I was putting in my body on a daily basis. I've gotten into such a comfortable routine with my morning treadmill. I hate to screw around with that as it gets my day off to a positive start. :huh2:But I'm doing the same speed at the same incline that I was not long after I started. Maybe I should kick it up another notch. Yeah. I'll do that tomorrow! And probably curse all the way home because I'm worn out. :wink2: I question my restriction. It's there in the morning and I'm not hungry at all. I forced myself to eat some cream of wheat this morning and almost PB'd I still haven't been able to stomach my protein drinks since my most recent fill. I've just been really put off by anything frothy. So maybe I need to find something else. Maybe I could try some bacon. Or get my juicer out and try carrot juice or something. Hm. Back to the drawing board. I need to give my head a bit of a shake and see what falls out. :blushing:

We're waiting for Linda, Candice and Denise. The site seems slow at the moment. Perhaps it's weighed down by all the water we've got in today. So maybe the others haven't been able to log in. Or maybe I scared them. :blushing: :sad:

Good girl Kari. I missed you off my list. So far all the brave ones have been checked off the list. :blushing:

Good girl! :blushing: I have 16oz to go. Linda? Candice? Denise? Steph? *drums fingers on clipboard*

Janet is safe. Phyl also dodges the wrath of the clipboard. Just. Who else is out there? Don't pretend like you're not reading. :blushing:

So Janet is the only one that always keeps the monitors updated on her daily water intake. Come on ladies, where do we all stand today? Me, I'm halfway there. *stand with hands on hips, tapping foot* I have a clipboard, don't make me use it on you. :w00t:

He's going to Edmonton on Friday (and will be back home Monday) for a service and burial of her ashes in her family plot. There was a service in Toronto, where she'd lived for much of her life, on Thursday just gone for family and friends. He couldn't attend it due to finances and work. He had to choose one service over the other and opted for the private family one. We spent some time alone at a small little lake nearby on Thursday during the same time her service would have been held just to sit and remember and listen to the music that would be played at her service. It was hard for him to make the choice not to go to that service, and I would have supported him 100% if he felt he needed to. He's doing okay though. Thank you for asking.

Yeah I'm still very much a tomboy, although I do like parts of my body to be "girly". I love most sports. I played lots of different sports and follow the Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks because I don't get a chance to follow rugby like I did when living down under. My husband is not a sport freak, so I pick up the slack for him. :tt2: I don't know if I'll go for a pedicure though. I don't like people touching my feet. :tt2: It was me that dreamed about the trainer and him getting in my way. I don't recall my dreams very often, but when I do they're extremely clear. Most mornings I wake up knowing I dreamt, but not knowing what it was about. :wink2: As for telling people about my band, I only told my hairdresser and hubby told a couple of our close friends who live in Kansas and Quebec. I agree with you on the band getting all the credit and I don't think it's fair. I believe I wouldn't have been this successful without it, but it was still me that did all the hard work, walked all the fat off, sweat buckets in the gym, ate food that I didn't want but knew was better for me and cried all the tears when the whole process got me down. My hairdresser is a lovely girl. It's always so nice when I go in there every 6 weeks and her eyes light up and she tells me how different I look. She knows of another friend who had the surgery around the same time I did and she tells me she doesn't see much difference at all in him. I told her that he probably isn't using the band to its full abilities. It's not a magic fix-it. I had no idea it would take this much hard work to lose as I am. And if I'm completely honest, I probably wouldn't have opted for it when I did if I had known. I'm lazy by nature and was forever looking for the easy way out to lose my weight. Nothing was easy. The band isn't either, but it is successful for me and that's what matters most of all. It would have taken me probably another 50 or 100lbs before I got desperate enough to take serious action if I'd known beforehand exactly what I was getting myself into. :tt2: But I certainly don't have any regrets. I complain and moan about so many things on this journey, and I think it helps to be in the company of people who understand and take their own turns on the soapbox when they need it without fear of being looked down on. There have been 3 reasons for my success. My band, my band sisters and me. They share equal billing.

Good morning ladies. :tt2: Before I forget, Karri you RAWK!!!! I'm sure you couldn't even imagine this time last year that you would be in a race, let alone running the whole time AND finishing. Congrats to you. You're magnificent. :tt2: No weight loss for me this week. But no gain either, so reason enough not to mope about. I did weights on Saturday (arms and shoulders) and today I feel like my arms are going to drop off. It almost hurts just to raise my arms to the keyboard. Gonna give it a couple more days to recover and then back again. Maybe not so enthusiastic this time around. :wink2: I met my monthly target for exercise today. So time for a treat. I was thinking that I may take myself for a manicure. This may not seem like a treat to many of you, but I've never gotten one. I don't even know what to ask for. :wink2: My nails are all different lengths and could do with a good tidy up. I don't want to get any false ones. I know what a French Polish (is that what it's called?) is, but I don't think I want one of those either. Maybe just a neutral color or something. So anyway, that's the plan. I'm deserving of a reward for my hard work and I've decided that rewards aren't going to revolve around food anymore. So that's why I've decided on a manicure. It's something new for me. I think this tomboy image has gone on long enough. Be good today ladies. The water monitors are on patrol. *nudges Steph* :tt2:

When this happens to us, it's usually a sign that the filter in the air conditioner needs changing. Yeah I've been here for 5 years now. I kept meaning to get lessons to help me adjust, but for the past couple of years we've been talking of relocating to Aussie, so I didn't want to confuse myself. :frown3: I've only ever owned one car in my life. I grew up on public transport. Everything here is within walking distance. It gives me extra exercise. When I need something from the store, I walk. In our apartment complex I'm known as "the lady that walks everywhere" It's a 5 minute walk west to my PCP. A 5 minute walk south to my dentist. A 5 minute walk east to my hair salon. A 10 minute walk south/west to SuperTarget. A 25 minute walk south/west to a big shopping mall. When I do need to go somewhere else, or buy bigger items that I can't carry home, my sweet hubby takes me. I've got it made with that man. :biggrin2:

Well, it's not something you NEED, but it is nice to have an accurate number instead of depending on a needle to be steady. Mother's Day is just around the corner. Find one in a store that you like the look of and put in a request for that. :w00t: Gas prices - I don't know for sure but I think they're around $3.50. I don't drive. I learned to drive down under, so everything is in reverse here for me. I've never been able to bring myself to get in the other side of the car and drive down the other side of the street. :tongue2: Believe me, you're a lot safer without me behind the wheel and out in traffic. :sleep:

I had a dream about my treadmill last night. :cry_smile: :confused: I was doing my usual workout, minding my own business. A trainer came in with a group of people and he was talking with them about the best type of exercise for each of them. I turned up the volume on my iPod and carried on in my own little world. He came over and took one of the earphones out of my ear and said "Now that I have everyone's attention I can continue." I didn't know who this guy was and didn't appreciate his interference. :rolleyes2: I put the earphone back in my ear and carried on. The next thing I know he's standing in front of me on the treadmill with his hands on his hips. The treadmill has stopped. At first I feel a little intimidated by him and was about to step off. Then I pulled myself together and decided there was no way in hell I was going to let HIM stop me from exercising. So I say to him "Get out of my way and don't ever try to stop me from doing what I need to do!" Then I push him aside and start my treadmill up again. The group of people who are with him start to applaud and tell me it was great that I put Sergeant Major in his place. I felt proud of myself and continued with my workout. That's all I remember about my dream. It was an inspiration to me and I'm going to use it to motivate myself on the days when I really don't feel like stepping into the gym. :biggrin2:

Is it just me or is this site really slow today?

That did cross my mind. But I went to see her on a day where the rash was driving me insane. MOST of the time it's just annoying. But once in a while there are days where I want to scratch and scratch and scratch it till it bleeds. Then scratch it some more. :tt2: There's one cream that I have here that I tried when looking for something to clear it up that makes things a lot worse. And I'm prepared to use it if need be to get the rash started again just for another visit, then clear it up. Then start it again. So I have a couple of options. But I just hate those insane itchy days and that's what stops me a lot of the time. Guess I'll have to suck it up if it means that much to me. :thumbup:

That's what I was wondering. I'm very interested in why as well. I've had a few casual chats with the PS that did my boobs and he never indicated that there'd be a special diet before or after. He said he'd like for me to get an "all clear" from my lap band surgeon and consult together as to what to expect as far as port location, band size, etc but never discussed a time period of maintenance. :blushing: