jtag10_4

That is AWESOME, I cannot imagine how grateful/relieved you must have felt!!! I think I will be crying on my next flight - haven't been on a plane since 2005!

Ninja - I'm so glad you hopped on here - yes, Ang you are averaging 10lbs a month...ur doing good! That is exactly what "they" say you are supposed to be at. But, of course, you can make sure you are doing what you need to help.....Is it your TOM? How's your salt intake? How's ur Water intake? Are you getting enough Protein? I was at a pretty big stand still between middle of Feb and middle of March I think I lost 7 in 6 weeks but then 2 things kicked my ass into gear I had a fill (which didn't do much physically, but in my head I started making better choices than I had been and I was on my bike FULL TIME-not by choice-lol!) otherwise I probably would have lost about 5 lbs in the last 2 months...but then again - I have always dropped weight quickly - it's just keeping it off is my problem!!! Everybody is different! But WE ALL have 1 thing in common and that damn cookie monster showed up at my work today...don't think I'll be seeing a good number on the scale this week!?!?!? geez Good luck girl! You are already successful! Keep it up!

Another NSV - this week is getting CRAZY! I saw my 4 year crush yesterday - and his mouth DROPPED, he could not keep his hands off my side/waist, hugging me, ect - it was so so so cute. Kept saying how good I looked, how healthy I looked. Granted he would flirt with me at any weight but I had not seen him in 45 lbs! ahahahahah That was my dream come true! 1 crush down 1 more to go! hahahah

New NSV - I wore a belt last night and I was comfortable....amazing!

Knockouts - y'all are awesome!! I LOVE hearing these!! My NSV for the week - I went shopping, looking for new pants - it was pretty crappy weather (rain/snow) and I was on my bike, but I had layers on and was warm and I was LOVING IT...I was so muddy and blasting thru every puddle - it was so FUN!!! Outside Sears, I had a guy in a WHEELCHAIR tell me that me being on my bike in the rain was an awful way to get around that day...Excuse me? UR serious? UR in a wheelchair? I was so estatic that I could even MOVE, that I could even get around....last summer I had constant back pain, there's no way I would have even had enough ambition to do that! Never did find any pants I liked?!?! Just think.... where was everyone at 1 year ago today???? I know I was so so unhappy and miserable.....

ok folks - I have been biking my @$$ off literally :-) I rode 18 miles today (well yesterday now) and got a massage and the CMT complimented me on my muscular legs!!! YEAH....I have not heard 'muscular' and 'my legs' together in the same sentence in YEARS.....updated ticker 615 minutes done...where is everyone???

Fairysaddle - those ARE GREAT NSV's!!! You are doing AWESOME!!! :-) Ang - I didn't post back here but I did on my blog, he was in the slammer :-) I did hear from him on Tuesday, did his taxes (he didn't pay me yet) and then haven't heard from him since - so things were back to good, and now not anymore....I got used for my Turbo Tax LOL!!! Needless to say his number got deleted AGAIN...I just don't have the patience for B/S!!! He should have just left me alone to begin with but I guess he didn't want to pay H&R block! Creeps...eh, having a great week otherwise! How is everybody???

Thank you mamato!!! That double chin thing is such a bigger deal than having full cheeks you know, it's like that is the 1st THING I want gone!!! Where's all the other Knockouts, Ang was the BRAVE soul that started this thread....there are more than 3 of us that got banded in January??? WHERE O WHERE COULD YOU BE HIDING :-) ???? I would like to put faces with names!!

OK, I'm going to try to post pics but I'm an idiot when it comes to this crap...ok here it goes...I don't have "clinical" pics, I actually wish I did like Ang....I just didn't take any, but I have face pics. I see a difference, I have a neck now (nicely, pointed out to me by my gramma)....so 1st pic is early November right when I started on pre-op diet so maybe -6 from highest and the 2nd is 3/5/08 -47 lbs total

Totally understand...I lost 23lbs on my pre-op diet and I was really excited, really happy, esp over the holidays - and I got an email from my gramma probably 10 days before.... "Why have surgery, you are losing weight on your own" I was SO quick to write a message back..."where in the hell do you think I am getting my motivation from...I have help coming" You know what's best for you - stick with your gut - lol! No pun intended!

Flo Rida is great!!! and I am LUVIN' Pitbull right now, he is filling up most of my playlist - esp the new album Boatlift OMG....I realize it is not everybody's taste even for those who enjoy Hip-Hop/Rap - not everbody will tolerate him switching back between english and spanish....but it gets me moving!

310 minutes total, but I'm only counting 220 minutes!!!! Ticker updated...yeah! I am luvin this!

The nurse that was prepping me for surgery said "So what made you decide on getting the lapband?" My reply was "because I'm fat." I think I already had medicine in my IV because it was TOTALLY funny at the time - my mom and I were ROLLIN'!!! She wasn't as amused, probably thought "that damn punk kid"

Hey...sorry that wasn't my idea, I was trying to quote Miss Tulip, but it didn't work so well. Minutes work better for me than "20 workouts" sounds like Chrissann is the same way....because I do short spurts - 15 minutes here, 15 minutes there - basically my activity is spread throughout the day for me - not all at once....but not all my minutes are created equal, I think I'm going to do the 2:1 if I don't break a sweat, or not count those minutes at all....we'll see if I feel different when I only have 430 good minutes on 4/29!! ha ha ha! Let's get crack-a-lackin'!!!

"I think we should all pick a number of workouts to complete for April, that way we're not forced to meet a certain minutes criteria. For example: Hypothetically, I could exercise really hard for 15 minutes or take it easy for 45 minutes. Those 15 minutes might be a lot more effective than the 45 minutes. By doing workouts per month, we can decide how much time each session takes and it's more flexible. Any thoughts" You could do "sweating" minutes and non-sweating minutes...so when you are sweating it's 1:1 (one real minute equals an exercise minute) if your not sweating it's 2:1 (2 real minutes equals one of our exercise minutes)...So if your half-assing it then a 45 minute non-sweating workout would be 22 minutes...suck...that might push some people!?!? Just a thought, maybe too many numbers this early en la manana...

Keep it right here....title is perfect, we're ready to rock and roll!

Let's go! Let's go! Let's go! I'm SOOO ready!

That has been the HARDEST for me to give up. When I read online that pop would not be allowed - it was a small price to pay for a healthy lifestyle. But, I have dreams of diet pepsi, I am afraid I will sleepwalk down to 7-11 and put my head under the fountain drinks! Have not tired the pop flat yet, hopefully it tastes awful and I will never want it again...iced tea is a poor substitute, but a substitute.

I applied for an individual plan through Aetna and was denied due to my BMI. My BMI was 48?!?! I was SOL! With the denial I received information on a state subsidized program here in Colorado that allowed people who would not otherwise qualify for health insurance either due to illness, loss of job or price obtain coverage. Our program is called Cover Colorado and only Colorado residents are eligible....BUT the insurance is pretty affordable and it's good insurance - it's with Pacificare PPO - they did have a 6-month preexisting condition clause. If I would not have been able to get this, I would not have been able to get ANY individual health insurance plan. Maybe your state has a similar program? I was also told that any WLS patient would have to be 2 years out from surgery to again be eligible to qualify for most individual health plans-given they were within "normal range" and otherwise healthy, which I thought was better than an absolute exclusion....that was what I was expecting.

I can't help you much but...sounds like he's being an @$$! I didn't tell my boss, just told her my mom was coming into town and I was taking a couple of days off - she already had ENORMOUS preconceived ideas about WLS - I tested the waters last summer to see what her opinion was and I got an ear full! Good luck! Don't let this get you frustrated, it will be the best thing you could do for yourself! :-)

Well.....STOOD UP...I'm SO serious I can't even make this stuff up! But I did get a good 3 mile walk in last night so it wasn't all bad....and I still thought I looked great! No more dates for a while....geez....

I'll report back....IF I don't get stood up :-)...anything can happen! Ahh, the joys of single life! Thanks everyone! The Knockout's RULE!!!

My NSV - I am going out on a date tonight and for the 1st time EVER I am not totally fixiated on how fat I am....I have a great outfit put together, and I'm going for the company, the experience, the environment and to have a great time! OMG - is this confidence?!?! I can't remember what that felt like?!?!?

OMG!! 38lbs since surgery!!! YOU ARE DOING AWESOME! I was able to surprise my mom a couple of weekends ago, she last saw me when I was 4 days post-op and swollen and moving slow, it was such a good feeling for her to see me 20+lbs lighter and back on my feet! Hope you have an amazing trip!