vinesqueen

Well, now that you are here, you are never alone. LBT is truely Global, so you don't need to feel alone. Kozmic, I don't know if you have started your list of NSVs. That's required homework for all members of the Turtle Tribe. (And I highly encourage it for the rabbits too!) The scale cannot be our only measure for success. If that is all of it, then we lose sight of what we've actually accomplished. We've really accomplished so much but if we dont track it, if we are not mindful, we don't see it. Sort of only seeing the forest, and missing not only the trees, but the wonderful underbrush. You might need to read your NSVs daily for a while. to see and accept what you've actually accomplished.Take a look at some of the lists other turtles have posted, look through the "NSV anyone" thread in the lounge for some ideas.

I don't know what I'm going to do either. I know that I'm not too tight but I think turkey might be a problem for me in any form. The other night I cooked some turkey in mole sauce in the crock-pot. After a few well-chewed bites I spent 15 minutes dry heaving. Last night I tried again, only this time I threw some in the food processor with extra sauce. I got stuck on one teaspoon of well blended turkey. I do not want to repeat this, ever again!

Seppi, I firmly believe that everyone is an artist, most people just haven't found their medium. Everyone has the ability to bring beauty into this world. (Yes, I am of the camp that says art is mostly about beauty, and bags of flaming dog pooh do not count as art. Not even performance art. )

hIppo birdies, two ewes

Woot! That is great Margo! Just great! Excellent work

oh yes, this isn't uncommon. You are under stress, so naturally this is when you get your period.

Yup, she looks amazing, but keep in mind Kelly, our 12-14 will look just as amazing on us as her size 4 looks on her. Yeah, Muffin, we miss you!

Hello fellow members of the Turtle Tribe. I thought it would be a good time to check in. How is everyone doing? Anyone get a fill and suddenly see a great loss? Anyone make a mental breakthrough? I am currently at peace with being a Turtle. I'm doing everything in my power to lose weight. And yet I'm still not losing weight. So. There is obviouly something more at work. Maybe I have a lot of head work that I need to do before I can release the weight. Maybe there is some emotional work I havent done, and that is why I'm still holding onto the weight. Maybe there is some phychic component that hasn't been addressed. So, just about the only thing I haven't tried is to "let go and let god." Yesterday I had my second reconnective therapy session. The first one I had last spring and just had my second one. I decided that for my major reward for breaking past the Morbidly Obeast phase I would do some more of the reconnective work. Since the session yesterday I am filled with a sense of peace and acceptance. Oh don't get me wrong, I am NOT giving up. I'm just letting go. I obviously don't have control of my weight loss. So. I just keep on doing what I'm doing, on the physical level. I will still work the physical, there is no reason to not work the physical, since even though it is slow progress, it is still progress. When I gave up looking for a man is when I found my husband. Maybe when I give up my stress over losing weight, I will find success there too.

I'm glad to hear that it is "only" your gall blader. I only needed a few days off for my gallbladder, I think I was back to work within a couple of days. Not happy about being back so soon, but well there you go. Take care of your self

Hi Schel, I'm not at goal, but I have the occasional cocktail, and I still have my beloved coffee and teas. In fact, we are told that lattes are a good way to get in our dairy. Seattle and all...

My doc doesn't even have us do a clear liquid phase. He even ordered 2% chocolate milk for me so I could take my meds. Talk to your doc and let him know that you got such conflicting information.

I can eat soft tortillas all day long, but lunch of turkey thighs looked in mole sauce caused me to have the dry heaves for 15 minutes. Chewed to goo, and still I had a miserable time. my worst PBs have been on dark chicken and turkey. Chicken breast I haven't had a PB problem.

Thanks for posting this Greg.

fully dressed without shoes, a couple times a month.

WELL, I didn't want to say anything... It looks very interesting, but I"m still to big and out of shape for something like this. Tae kwon do is still out of my comfortable reach right now.

No, no red eyes, but definately feeling flushed. I don't have any idea how I dry heave with slimes, but slimes aren't retching and heaves are wretched. I rarely do this, but when I do, man is it a doosey. I'll only get in about 1/2 hour walking.

I am setting a few challenges for myself. I've been driving myself absolutely insane by counting every single calorie that goes into my body. (an almond has 6.3 calories.) I've also been super restictive with my diet, doing my best to stay between 1000-1200 calories a day. All of this has provided me with an average of 5 ounces lost a week since May; and stress beyond what is good for anybody. (an egg has 70 calories) So, my challenges are that I will stop counting calories for a month, I will actively ignore my caloric intake until Dec 1, after Thanksgiving break. (2.5 ounces of turkey has 165 calories). I am on my 4th fill, but I am less than a week into it. I, of course, doubt that I lost anything last week. I feel really restricted, so we shall see how this works out. I can always get another fill, right? My second challeng is that I'm going to start snacking. 3 meals with no Snacks isn't working for me, so I'm going to add at least one snack in the afternoon. The last time I had any success losing weight I was required to have two snacks in addition to my 3 meals. I would have a bowl of Fiber one Cereal with peaches as my before bedtime snack. Considering how much success I had with that program, I'm going to try modifying my diet to include at least one good quality snack. I know that these seem to be breaking the bandsters rules, but I'm not having much luck dropping the weight following them.

Okay, 1/2 hour on Wednesday, and an hour yesterday. I was going to hit the gym after work today, but lunch ended up being a major dry-heave session, I'm not sure that I'll feel up to working out this evening. Stupid turkey mole.

Okay, time to check in with this challenge to myself. I'm doing pretty good on not counting every calorie and I've been managing to get in at least one snack. I find that I automatically count the calories in most of my meals, only because of habbit and the fact that I know how many calories are in most of the things I'm eating. (yay obsession!) I'm doing pretty good with Breakfast everymorning. I don't always make it, and I frequently eat and drink my tea breakfast at the same time. But I'm doing this on purpose, other wise I don't get in my morning liquids. I haven't seen any weight loss, not really surpirsed anymore. But, I have lost 2 inches total from hips and waist since I started this challenge for myself. The added Snacks are definately adding calories to my total daily intake, I know this, even if I haven't activly been counting. My skin is betting better, for a while it was looking pretty ragged and my color just wasn't right. Really blotchy, and normally my skin is even toned. I obviously wasn;t getting something I needed. So, just thought I'd check in with my challenge to myself.

See, I don't have this problem. I don't generally obsess about food (except for my calorie counting). I'm perfectly happy with the proper food portion, I might not always follow it, but I don't go crazy either. I know a portion size of cookies is 2 sandwich cookies, but I want 4 or 6. But I can't even imagine eating an entire bag of cookies in one sitting, not even before I was banded I couldn't imagine that.

Hey Kendra, at 24 pounds in 26 weeks you are just under the 1 pound a week mark. (.92 pounds average loss) So you aren't actually out of the range. I just know it's hard when you see everyone else losing at a much faster rate than you. Schedule that fill appointment. I've had 4 fills, 2 being within a month of each other. I need another fill yet, but I'll have that done next week when I meet with my surgeon to talk about why I'm not losing weight. (I average 5 ounces loss a week, and I'm not even the slowest Turtle.) Welcome back!

Last year was physically very difficult for me. I was having serious health issues, which included a lot of trips to the ER for asthma and breathing related problems. I missed one of my finals, which meant that I had to take an incomplete for the course. When I went back to make up the incomplete, the instructor, who is rather old, called me a lier and said I was never in his class. I had an "A" in the class, but I have to take it again this spring. I too thought that I would have lost a huge amount of weight by now. I'm days from being 9 months out and have only lost 27 pounds. Not even close to the amount we are told, the amount most people lose. That sent me into a spiraling depression, but I'm better now. Now, if I can only get through calculus!

(hijack) HI KENDRA! We've missed you!

Honey, you just had a major surgery. Of course you don't have energy to do anything but sleep. Your body needs to heal You need to take small sips, not long big swallows. You body is not rejecting the band. It is inert, and doesn't react to your body. Your body knows something is there because it is taking up extra space, but you are not rejecting the band. It simply doesn't happen. You can get through this rough week, you can and you will. Honest.

I don't believe I've been discriminated because of my size, but yes to my gender. I can't honestly say that my weight has ever been a problem, other than for me health wise, but I don't believe that it's ever been a problem for me.