the best me

Wow! And I asked the question?! LOL Well done, dawg. I agree with you and Maggie about the whole BMI/goal weight thing. 145 pounds puts me at a BMI of 24. NOT overweight. But 145 seems just about unattainable to me! The problem I'm having right now is a 38.5% Body Fat. Wow! For my 183 pounds (oh, 182.4 this morning...yippee!) that's 70 pounds of fat! If I were to lose ALL of my fat, I'd weigh 113 pounds. Huh?! I have "heard" that 20% body fat is on the high end of normal for women my age (40) so I need to subtract 18.5% body fat from my 183 pounds which means I need to lose another 34 pounds. 183-34=149 Geez. I keep coming back to that evil unattainable "below 150" weight. Fact is, the numbers game is fun for about a minute. When it comes down to it, I want to be at a healthy weight, even if it is in the overweight range. I won't settle for Obese, and I'm on the brink...30.5 BMI. Lord, just let me see 179!!!!!!!! LOL Yay on your perky boobies, Maggie! Have you posted pics and I have missed them? Pics please! Clothed is fine...and crop out your head if you must, but I know I'm not the only one who would love to see your doc's handiwork! teehee Oh! And happy band day LindaV! See ya on the flip side! yay you! I'm off to update my card with a bunch of zero's for the weekend. :eekB: Oh well, I had fun!

Charlotte, NC $2.83/gal regular unleaded. Yuck.

Melissa if you are losing wieght on that menu and you are satisfied on less than 1000 calories don't get the fill. Here's a test. Follow a menu for one day with chicken breast (2-4 ounces) with whatever at lunch and 4 or so ounces of fish at dinner with whatever...FitDay it, see how you do. If you are hungry and don't PB, consider a fill. I think your menu looks great, and you should probably add in another 200 calories of fruit. You'll be golden, girl. Hold off on the fill. Too tight is a terrible way to live! Do the head work! Yay!

Okay, when I first went to the Dermatologist for redness/breakouts he gave me Retin-A cream. OMGosh, it got worse. It was so harsh to my skin and made the peeling worsen (yes, this is what Retin-A is supposed to do...I'm pretty sure it keeps the top layers sluffed away) and it really dried out my skin. It didn't help. so when I followed up, the doc gave me a pamphlet with a pic of a lady with rosascea and I KNEW that's what I had. Yep...this was it. I felt like if I wasn't careful, my nose would end up red, swollen, bumpy...like red cauliflower! It was also that way across my cheeks next to my nose. I also had pretty good breakouts on my chin. (All this from someone who had beautiful skin as a teen. Anyhow, the older I got the worse it got). So I took a tetracycline prescription for a while...twice a day for about a month and it helped alot, by then I researched and figured out what made it flare and it was under control and improving. I have always, since then, used the Metrogel at bedtime. I apply it to clean, dry skin, then put a moisturizer on top of it, once it dries. This keeps the flaky stuff from popping up. But if I'm not "flared up" the flakies aren't an issue. I avoid alcohol, no prob since I drink seldom now. I avoid heavy dairy. A White Russian is the absolute worst for my skin. half-n-half and alcohol...liquor! Oh my! I don't drink those. But otherwise my diet is pretty normal, now that I have the Metrogel and know to keep an eye on it. I know what to do to treat it before it gets bad. I also treat my skin as if it's ultra-sensitive. I wash with my hands...not a wash cloth. And if I ever use a wash cloth, I don't rub, I press and pat. I use moisturizers with sunscreen. I moisturize and baby my skin. My chin still has issues, but it's more breakouts and not what's on my nose and cheeks. I'll use acne meds on my chin if needed. My face always has and still flushes very easily when I get hot. Weight loss has helped tremendously. I don't get so hot now! But when I'm working out and break a sweat, heart rate is up, I flush dark red. I know to baby my face at bedtime. I don't take any oral antibiotics now. The Metrogel is all I use on a regular basis with the exception of the gentle cleansers and moisturizers with sunscreen. OH! I DON'T use Toners. I don't care what some rep says from some make-up company about how gentle it is...I don't put anything on my face that burns or gets hot or feels like alcohol. Yuck. Once you figure out your triggers and how to either avoid them or work around them, you will get it under control. My case is mild compared to others, I'm sure, but maybe it's because I have a consistent handle on it? I KNOW my skin could be alot worse. Google Rosasea and give it some time. Your doc may not be so quacky. Everyone is different and you may need to change your face products to something more mild in order for the meds to give you the best effect? Just a guess. You know your skin and will know what to do. Another thought...it starts with flushing, then the broken vessels, the swollen top layer, then bumps and just gets worse from there. So treat it early. Just beacuse you don't have a WC Fields nose now, doesn't mean you won't if you don't treat it. Make sense? Dont' panic, just be nice to your skin and keep up with the Metrogel until you get your triggers figured out.

I have Rosascea and the Metrogel works great for me. Just so you know, it also comes in a cream that provides some moisture. It's supper time so I gotta run but I'll check back in...

Okay ladies...I saw the thread...no little paper clip...so no pic, right? Must be a joke. So I managed to avoid till Gurly attached a pic to the thread, and now, here I am, looking for a pic of Telly in a diaper! You got me!!!! But the diaper pic is soooooooooo cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Home Equity Line of Credit here, too. Only we aren't paying it off very quickly. If I had a job, it would go towards that. It's a bit of guilty pressure, to be sure. It's worth it, mind you, but I don't like it hanging over my head especially since I need a new (used) van. Ours is soooo old, and the car payment on top of the Band payment....oh my. So we are in the midst of figuring out how to do all this without me going back to work. Hubby is building a spec house so we are hoping we get what we are asking and will be able to finagle from there. Point is, it's a commitment but it's worth it. It's a pain, but worht it. It's pressure and guilt, but not for long. You get over it when you step on the scale, or climb a flight of stairs, or lose your pants while vacuuming...you get the idea! Good luck!!!!

Hey Mo! WTG on the blood sugars! How cool is that?!!! And Dawg...congrats on the BMI! Where are you getting your chart? The one I always see has 25-29 BMI as overweight, and below 25 as normal...but I have heard of charts that are a little more, uhhh, realistic? where a 27 BMI was in the normal range? I dunno, I just wonder if you could post your chart? or a link? Anyway. Well done!!!!! Okay, Dawg, I just reread your post and 29 IS overweight on my chart, too...but I hadn't heard of the classes of obesity. So I still wanna see your chart! Anyhow, thanks.

Trish! Remember our April 2005 Bandsters Thread? We thought it was just going to be me and you for the longest time. Now there are tons of us! We made it a year! I know it's been a tough one for you, but chin up, you are getting up and over this hump in the road and will continue your success! Hang in there, my friend. How are you?! I'm thinking of you. (((hugs)))

Uh, YES!!!! But no worries. The center banding you will also do your fills. It's the folks who are banded elsewhere (like in MX) who are ussing Fill Centers, for the most part, and it looks like Memorial Bariatric Center does NOT do fills for folks not banded with them. Make sure, but I bet you are fine. Happy Band day!!!

See, k@t...you were never alone!!!!!! Glad to see you back. congrats! Welcome to bandland Susan!!

My son weighs about 35 pounds. Yesterday he stomped in the rain puddles, so I carried him up the stairs to the play room at church (the floors had just been mopped and I couldn't bear the thought of little wet/muddy sneaker prints across the floor!) and I got to the top and rememebred what it was like to heft my fat a$$ up those stairs and get winded doing it. This time I whisked him up, took a deep breath at the top, said "Whew! No wonder I felt so awful going up these stairs with an extra 60 pounds on!" I bought a pair of shoes with heels. Okay, small 1-inch heels, but heels nonetheless! They are cute and funky (for me) and I'm taller! I quit wearing heels over 10 years ago when I was in a car accident and broke my foot. That was my excuse then, and since I was just too heavy to be comfortable in any type of heel. I'm wearing them around the house now! LOL I love my cute little shoes! And they are a 1/2 size smaller to boot!

That was beautiful. Thanks fo sharing.

I do knw that there is a GP operation that includes a non-adjustable band. Banded Gastroplasty? maybe? That might explain some of the confusion. hmmmm

Dang wavy, keep us posted about hubby. I don't know much about hiatal hernia's, except that they can usually be repaired during band surgery. Dr B will be able to take great care of you. No worries! Just a bump in the road!

Holy Crap!. Where's that "jaw dropping" smilie? I'm sitting here shaking my head in amazement. Be grateful for every penny spent on that Volvo. It saved his life! He'd have had a lap full of engine were he not in that car. Unbelievable. And ouch!!! on his hand. Geez. Give hubby lots of TLC. It will take a while to get past all this, but you two are making it! Take it easy and keep us psoted on the saga. :bananadoggywow: Hang in there, Wheetsin. We are thinkin' of you!!!!!

Deleted score card, but will continue to weigh in each Wednesday.

Oh no, don't you borrow trouble, girly! That's enough major life-change to go through! I haven't even sent my youngest to preschool yet, so I'm totally not relating in that area of your life. But I DO think you are allowed to have a pity-party, for sure!!!! And I'm also thinking you won't be feeling "without purpose" for long. Now's the time to think back 20 years and remember your "to-do" list for life. Get started on some of those things...with the necessary adjustments a more mature woman brings with her. LOL I have no doubt you will be busy again soon. congrats on getting the boys raised up and well on their way. You rock, Mom!!! :rockon:

Awww, Leener. I'm sorry your marriage ended up not being a good one. It's dissappointing and difficult, but you are fine and I'm happy for you now. (((hugs))) and embrace the future!!!! It's getting brighter by the day! God bless you!

Yay k@t!!! Can't wait to hear from you! Welcome to bandland!!!!

Happy Birthday Michelle! Has it been another year?! Wow! I hope your day is FANTABULOUS!!!!!

OMGosh! My jaw dropped when I read that because I'm just outside of Charlotte and we had terrible thunderstorms last night! Whose got it going on with the weatherman, huh?!!!! It started around 6pm (EST) and lasted till about 8pm, just in time for phone service to be out for several hours around Idol time! Thunder and lightening! Craaaack! Booooom!!!! The power blinked out here, but we didn't lose it altogher. It WAS a rough enough storm that we turned off the 'puter and satellite TV, then just sat in the dark with the kids for a bit...fun! Anyhow, that was wierd when I read that! I'm depending on you all to keep me updated on Idol news. I never know the schedule and only catch it on occasion. We have Wed night church tonight, so I'm sure I'll miss whatever's happening. I'll check back though!

Skye, there's a sticky thread in Support for prayer requests. I run through it on occasion and pray for the requests listed there. I'm sure many many others do as well. Please go list your hubby there. And you, too! I'm really sorry. (((((hugs)))) Is today Wed? 183.8 this morning. I think that's a 0 loss. But I forgot to cut/paste so I'm doing that now. Here we go, gang! The best me - H 242/ S 223/ J 188/ C 183.8 (-58.2 lbs total, no change this week) No cut/paste required...leave me be for this week, P'nut! Weeks of maintaining = a dip in the scale soon. "I'll see you, 179! I will! Just you wait!!!!!!"

Pictures please!!! Oh yeah, we want to see the new 'do! Oh, and a pic of that cute little ankle with the ankle bracelet would be nice, too! LOL

That was interesting and very informative! I also clicked on the Flame Wars article and found out I have been spelling "definitely" wrong all these years. I have typed "definately" well...my whole life? Is that possible?! Didn't I go to college? helllooo!! Missed that one. LOL