Frangipani

Okay, no more silly posts. And Lessnless, I hope you know I was just having some fun with you :drool: -- I think you are a hoot! I loved it when you told Daddy the other day that you were built for style not speed. Salsa, congrats on the wonderful news you got from your Dr. Wow!!! I am simply astounded at how quickly things are moving along for all of us. I am having my first PS consult next Friday in Florida and I am really looking forward to it (Yipee!!!) But get ready friends, now that I am going down this road, I promise you that I will be driving myself and everyone around me (including all of you) absolutely nuts obsessing about every little detail, nuance and permutation of this whole process -- because that's the way I am about everything, and I'm too old to change now :tongue2:. I am really impressed with the credentials of the first Dr. I am seeing in Florida, but he will in no way be the last Dr. I see before I make a final decision. I plan to review the credentials of probably a dozen or more Doctors, and have consults with no fewer than three (and possibly even as many as five). For me picking the surgeon will probably be a lot more painstaking and traumatic than the surgery itself! Anyhow, it's great to see everyone doing so well. Crazy Ates Rock!!!! I got an hour of cardio in today. Have a great night everyone!!! Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge 11/30 Exercise Sessions (7 Cardio, 2 Core Strength & flexibility, 2 Weight training) Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

Lessnless, now is that nice to be gloating about your weather :tongue2:? Since you're being such a bad girl, I'm going to give it right back to ya. Where I live we can sun ourselves on gorgeous beaches, swim in the warm waters of the Caribbean (or a pool if we want to be really boring), and have Margaritas made with good rum, cheap 24/7/365. NaNaNaNaNa :tt2:! Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge 11/30 Exercise Sessions (7 Cardio, 2 Core Strength & flexibility, 2 Weight training) Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

I do think it works for some people to have a small portion of whatever they are craving, and the Band certainly makes it possible to do so. That said, I never feel good about myself after giving in to temptation. Therefore 98% of the time, I start out by reminding myself of my goal and how I will feel about myself if I give into this craving, then I try to ignore the craving completely, if that doesn't work then I find a substitution. If I am craving something sweet, a nice ripe pear usually does the trick for me. I will be more lenient and forgiving with myself when I reach goal, but right now I am very focused on reaching my goal weight by (or hopefully before) my one year Bandiversary. It also helps to remind myself that in a few more months I will be able to enjoy a small treat from time to time. Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge 10/30 Exercise Sessions (6 Cardio, 2 Core Strength & flexibility, 2 Weight training) Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

Pizzi, Good luck!!! It all sounds good, and I know you will be hearing something positive very soon. In the meantime, I am sending some good Karma your way. Fondly, Frangi Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge 10/30 Exercise Sessions (6 Cardio, 2 Core Strength & flexibility, 2 Weight training) Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

Hey Val, I'm glad you're getting a little break!!! Thanks for adding your stats and congratulations on hitting the 54 pound mark:thumbup::blushing::thumbup:! Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge 10/30 Exercise Sessions (6 Cardio, 2 Core Strength & flexibility, 2 Weight training) Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

Hi Becky, Thanks :drool:! I'm trying, because I still have a whole lot more butt that needs to be kicked :sneaky:! I have been doing Yoga on and off for many years, but I have never been very good at it. Still I enjoy it, so I keep at it. Maybe one of these days I will be able to take my practice to the next level. The best way to get started is to take classes with a good instructor. A good instructor will show (or explain how to do) one or more modifications of each pose, so that you can adjust your practice to your own strength, flexibility, and skill level. As you become stronger and more flexible you can slowly move into the more challenging versions of each pose. A good instructor will also often give you a few moments of one-on-one time during a class if they see that your are struggling with a pose (or poses). Yoga has become so popular nowadays I would bet that there are several excellent Yoga studios -- especially in a major urban area like DFW. Hope this helps a little. Namaste Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge 10/30 Exercise Sessions (6 Cardio, 2 Core Strength & flexibility, 2 Weight training) Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

Hey Daddy, Welcome Back!!! We missed you!!! Glad to hear you had a great time -- what part of Florida were you in? BTW, did you notice that while you were gone, another thread was started regarding our "Eve" (aka lady at the top of the page)? It seems as if most people feel the same way we do about her......... Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge 9/30 Exercise Sessions (5 Cardio, 2 Core Strength & flexibility, 2 Weight training) Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

Name: Frangipani Weight loss from day of surgery: 81 lbs Total weight loss: 87 lbs Name: Candle Weight loss from day of surgery: 81 lbs Total weight loss: 95 lbs Name: Salsa Weight loss from day of surgery: 81 lbs Total weight loss: 81 lbs Name: Pammycakes Weight loss from day of surgery: 84 lbs Total weight loss: 86 lbs Name: Ceradad Weight loss from day of surgery: 80.5 Total weight loss: 100.5 Name: KarenG. Weight loss from day of surgery: 74 Total weight loss: 74 Name: NanaRenan Weight loss from day of surgery: 45 Total weight loss: 65 Name: TexasBecky Weight loss from day of surgery: 88 Total weight loss: 98 Name: SPEBSQSAlady Weight loss from day of surgery: 55 Total weight loss: 55 Name: Brandottie01 Weight loss from day of surgery: 20 lbs Total weight loss: Name: Bergdorfblonde Weight loss from day of surgery: 28.5 lbs Total weight loss: 28.5 lbs Name: Gometros Weight loss from day of surgery: 52.9 lbs Total weight loss: 74.9 Hi Bergdordorfblonde, My sincere condolences on the loss of your Father. I would say that considering the circumstances, you have done exceedingly well. As far as the other issues, well, so you've learned some things. Be grateful for this and continue to move forward. I think if you look at the posts of those of us who have lost 80 to 100 lbs, you will see that most of us are exercising a great deal. Are you currently exercising? If not, you should definitely join our challenge! I can just about guarantee that if you start exercising hard and often, you will see the pounds melt off. Most definitely you need to watch what you eat, and pretty carefully. I certainly do and I also use Fitday.com to track my calories. I try to stay in the 800 - 1100 calorie per day range. Most days I am at the upper end of this calorie range, but that's okay because I'm exercising a lot. Anyhow, you're doing great, and you should give yourself a big pat on the back! Gometros good job on your weight loss too! And thanks for posting your stats! Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge 9/30 Exercise Sessions (5 Cardio, 2 Core Strength & flexibility, 2 Weight training) Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

Jody, that's great that the cleanup is done already! It sounds like you have an awesome group of family and friends. Well, one small benefit of this mishap is that between the cleanup and your trek, I'll bet you burned some serious calories today :smile2:! I did a one hour hike today. Have a great night everybody! Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge 9/30 Exercise Sessions (5 Cardio, 2 Core Strength & flexibility, 2 Weight training) Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

Jody, that's terrible :thumbup: :cool:! How scary!!! Thank goodness nobody was hurt. Big Hugs to you, and keep us posted.

Name: Frangipani Weight loss from day of surgery: 81 lbs Total weight loss: 87 lbs Name: Candle Weight loss from day of surgery: 81 lbs Total weight loss: 95 lbs Name: Salsa Weight loss from day of surgery: 81 lbs Total weight loss: 81 lbs Name: Pammycakes Weight loss from day of surgery: 84 lbs Total weight loss: 86 lbs Name: Ceradad Weight loss from day of surgery: 80.5 Total weight loss: 100.5 Name: KarenG. Weight loss from day of surgery: 74 Total weight loss: 74 Name: NanaRenan Weight loss from day of surgery: 45 Total weight loss: 65 Name: TexasBecky Weight loss from day of surgery: 88 Total weight loss: 98 Name: SPEBSQSAlady Weight loss from day of surgery: 55 Total weight loss: 55 Name: Brandottie01 Weight loss from day of surgery: 20 lbs Total weight loss: Name: Bergdorfblonde Weight loss from day of surgery: 28.5 lbs Total weight loss: Hi, Bergdorfblonde and Brandottie, it sounds like you had a few unexpected obstacles in the way, but you are starting to hit your stride. Good job ! I formatted your stats, but if you want to list your total weight loss, just copy and paste the above stats and re-post. Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge 8/30 Exercise Sessions (4 Cardio, 2 Core Strength & flexibility, 2 Weight training) Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

Well, it took me a while to get myself out the door today, but I finally managed to get my two hour hike in. Have a great night everyone!!!! Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge 8/30 Exercise Sessions (4 Cardio, 2 Core Strength & flexibility, 2 Weight training) Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

Judi, regarding your neighbor, take heart. She just sounds like a person who has a very needy ego. When I lived in the suburbs, we had a neighbor like that -- she was an attractive lady with a stunning figure, but honestly everyone thought gardening out on the front lawn in a bikini was just well......weird. Don't get me wrong all the men on the block, including my husband, would spend about the first 10 minutes of every summer checking her out, but they got bored with it pretty quickly (as of course, men will), and moved on to their more important concerns like grubs and crabgrass. Furthermore, the general consensus among everyone was that this was a person who was desperate for attention, and we all just felt a little sorry for her.............. Well, I better go. I'm procrastinating a bit myself today. I am planning a two hour hike and I always enjoy it once I get out there, but some days the challenge is getting myself out there. Have a great day everyone! Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge 7/30 Exercise Sessions (3 Cardio, 2 Core Strength & flexibility, 2 Weight training) Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

Congratulations Candle!!! :smile::thumbup::smile::tongue::smile::smile::smile::smile::smile::thumbup::smile::smile::tongue::smile::smile::tt2::smile::smile: Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge 7/30 Exercise Sessions (3 Cardio, 2 Core Strength & flexibility, 2 Weight training) Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

Hey Guys, When you go shopping for bathing suits, just think that nothing can be worse than the experience I had, when (completely unsolicited) all three sales clerks at the swimwear shop would fling my dressing room door open every few minutes to see me in each suit I was trying on. A few times, they even managed to catch me in "mid change." Worse yet, my dressing room was in direct view of a packed open-air restaurant just a few feet across from the shop! It's a good thing that I had an (ultimately harmless) incident last year that precipitated a visit to the Mayo clinic, where I spent three days baring my breasts to anyone who asked, every hour on the hour -- so I no longer have any modesty whatsoever. Otherwise, I don't think I would have survived my bathing suit shopping expedition! Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge 7/30 Exercise Sessions (3 Cardio, 2 Core Strength & flexibility, 1 Weight training) Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

Name: Frangipani Weight loss from day of surgery: 81 lbs Total weight loss: 87 lbs Name: Candle Weight loss from day of surgery: 81 lbs Total weight loss: 95 lbs Name: Salsa Weight loss from day of surgery: 81 lbs Total weight loss: 81 lbs Name: Pammycakes Weight loss from day of surgery: 84 lbs Total weight loss: 86 lbs Name: Ceradad Weight loss from day of surgery: 80.5 Total weight loss: 100.5 Name: KarenG. Weight loss from day of surgery: 74 Total weight loss: 74 Name: NanaRenan Weight loss from day of surgery: 45 Total weight loss: 65 Hey everyone! This is awesome information, and I think a lot of people will find this thread to be very helpful -- especially newbies and people considering Lap Band surgery. Wow, we have lost a lot of weight so far! Just imagine what these numbers will be by Bandiversary!!! Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge 7/30 Exercise Sessions (3 Cardio, 2 Core Strength & flexibility, 2 Weight training) Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

Nana, big hug to you -- what an ordeal!!! I am so glad to hear that you and your granddaughter are alright! And what was the deal with that hospital? The lack of care Sloane received is truly egregious , and the shame of it is they will probably be charging her insurance company thousands for her "care." Anyhow, off my soapbox about that. I'm just glad to hear that you are okay :smile::eek:! Jody, I love Yoga. I'm not very good at it either, but I love the way it challenges me and relaxes me at the same time. I am currently doing Yoga once a week, but I am going to try to fit another class (or two) into my schedule. I did three sessions today, one hour weight training (arms/upper body), 30 minute abdominals class, and a one hour Yoga class. Have a great night everyone! Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge 7/30 Exercise Sessions (3 Cardio, 2 Core Strength & flexibility, 2 Weight training) Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

Hi Candle, Losing weight is hard and you absolutely deserve to claim every pound you have lost by any method. This is they way I would do it, but feel free to re-post if you don't feel this is appropriate: If you and everyone else agrees, I think we should use our absolute highest weight and weight on day of surgery as our benchmarks. Name: Frangipani Weight loss from day of surgery: 81 lbs Total weight loss: 87 lbs Name: Candle Weight loss from day of surgery: 81 lbs Total weight loss: 111 lbs Also, I realized that my total was off by one pound in my initial posting, so I have revised it. Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge 4/30 Exercise Sessions (3 Cardio, 0 Core Strength & flexibility, 1 Weight training) Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

Alaverde, Congratulations on losing 120 pounds, and Ceradad Congrats on hitting the 100 pound mark! :thumbdown::party::party::bored::party::mad2: Alaverde, thank you SO MUCH for your uplifting post. I am particularly encouraged because you and I started out at the very same BMI -- right down to the decimal point. Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge 4/30 Exercise Sessions (3 Cardio, 0 Core Strength & flexibility, 1 Weight training) Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

Hey Judi, Atta Girl! :thumbdown: I could eat soup all day long, as it passes through my band quickly and with no problems. Therefore, I don't eat soup very often, even though I love it. Like you I can still eat bread and Pasta, but it fills me up very quickly. By the way thanks for telling us about your blog. I looked at it last night and it is so cute, I love it! You are a very witty and excellent writer, Judi -- do you write professionally? If not, you certainly should. Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge 4/30 Exercise Sessions (3 Cardio, 0 Core Strength & flexibility, 1 Weight training) Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

Hi Jody, I see your ticker moving right along too. Right on :thumbdown:! I got an hour of cardio in today. Have a great night everyone! Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge 4/30 Exercise Sessions (3 Cardio, 0 Core Strength & flexibility, 1 Weight training) Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

Everyone is doing great! It will take some of us longer to get to goal than others, but in looking back through the board archives, I can see that most people who are focused, diligent, and who do what they need to do, all manage to get to goal sooner or later. Also, while our rate of weight loss can be influenced by diet and exercise, it is still not completely within our control. Let's face it, some people just have faster metabolisms than others. Another thing to consider when comparing your numbers to others is that we are not always comparing apples to apples. Some posters are folding their pre-surgery weight loss into their overall total, which is fair and reasonable, but different from what some of other posters are doing. Lessnless, you started out with a much lower BMI than a lot of us, so you are way ahead of the game. Good job :thumbup:! BTW, I owe you a PM which I will get to shortly. Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge 3/30 Exercise Sessions (2 Cardio, 0 Core Strength & flexibility, 1 Weight training) Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

Pizzi, awwww..... we love you too!!!! :shades_smile: And best of luck out in California. I know you will come back with a job offer!!!! Regarding the AP band, I was wondering that very same thing myself. I believe the band was released for general use in June or July of last year. I remember this because I wanted the AP Band, but it was not available in Mexico at the time. I considered having my surgery done in the US so that I could get this new band, but in the end decided that I didn't want to pay an extra several thousand dollars to have it. So I decided to move forward with the surgery in Mexico, and I have the Inamed 9.75 cm, 4 cc Band. That said, I am not one of the biggest losers around here. As you can see, several of our fellow Crazy Ates are in the 90's or well into the 100's, and maybe this is due (in part) to the new band. After all, faster weight loss was one of the selling points of the AP Band when they introduced it. Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge 3/30 Exercise Sessions (2 Cardio, 0 Core Strength & flexibility, 1 Weight training) Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

Becky, OMG look at your ticker! 98 pounds!!! Congratulations :shades_smile::thumbup: !!! Dave, congrats on losing another pound! It's good to have you back posting with us again too :ohmy:! Nana, welcome back! I'm sorry to hear about your accident. What happened? Were you injured? Are you okay now? Salsa, that volleyball game sounds really fun -- congrats on winning the game and being the MVP! I did one hour of weight training (legs/lower body) and a one hour aerobics class. Have a great night everyone! Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge 3/30 Exercise Sessions (2 Cardio, 0 Core Strength & flexibility, 1 Weight training) Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

Salsa, ROTFL :drool::cursing:! I swear though, the reason this struck me so funny is that this was the thing driving me last summer. As a matter of fact, I was just looking at last summer's bathing suit and it is "this close" to being a full Burqa! My husband told me as much at the time and warned me that I looked rather ridiculous wearing this getup on the beach, but I was fat and miserable, and needless to say, this bit of "constructive criticism" did not go down well. Anyhow, with 80 pounds behind me, I can now laugh at the utter absurdity of the situation, as well a breathe a sigh of relief that I finally managed to come up with a solution to my weight problem in August of 07. Now back to Ceradad's original question -- it has also occurred to me that collectively we are racking up some high weight loss numbers. It also seems that we as a group have a higher number of regular exercisers We rock don't we ! Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge 1/30 Exercise Sessions (1 Cardio, 0 Core Strength & flexibility, 0 Weight training) Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico