salsa1877

Thanks for all the advice. I went home during my prep period so that we could talk more when I was not half asleep, and he had laid everything out in a spreadsheet and we found that we could do it. He told me that he would not go part time if it meant me sacrificing the TT. He said he would never do that to me and I totally believe it. He already has filled out more applications today then he has in the last 2 months, so I think he finally hit his breaking point. I won't resent him for working only part time, because I know that he will do the housework and if I never have to do another piece of laundry it would be worth it. Yes he will still hate his job, but he is convinced that if he doesn't have to work for this particular supervisor (which practically sits over his shoulder and writes post it notes that constantly say CONCERN, CONCERN, CONCERN!) and he only has to deal with the job for 4 hours per day that it will be fine. When he changed schedules he changed supervisors and this one is just over the top. When he went into work yesterday there was a mirror on his desk with post it notes that told him to look in the mirror and tell himself "I have concern for others" at least 100 times and it would become natural for him. I think that is what sent him flying over the edge yesterday...and frankly I don't blame him. So if he went part time he would switch supervisors. Alright on to the food topic...I am desperately trying to get to 1500 calories today. With how wonderful this fill is, I am not sure that I can do that without drinking some of my calories. First bandster rule I am going to break. I am going to find some low calorie OJ and have that to drink in the morning before I leave for work. With the new eating schedule, I feel like I am eating constantly! This is soooooo weird. As for the 8's I am not there yet. With my TT I will be. On a good note I did fit into my size 10 petite pants that have been too small for the last couple of weeks. Who knows maybe I am almost at an 8. Don't want to try though. My clothes are fitting nicely and I don't want any reason to buy new clothes because I will definetly need the beginning of next school year. Thanks so much for listening to my off topic problems today. Janet- I am sorry to hear about your son. It is good though that you have a good relationship with your DIL. My dad's mom and my mom were very good friends after my parents divorced. Yes it would be hard on your DGD, but at some point it is going to be hard on her anyways. I feel for you. You are in a tough position. BIG HUGS

Zoloft did make me sick to my tummy too for a while. However, if I ever had to go back on one that is the only one that I would do. I found that if I ate cream of wheat or saltine crackers that it helped a bit. When I first started on it, I had no appetite. The one med that I will refuse to take is effexor. It took me 4 months of AGONY to get off of those things. I was so sick. Made me feel like I had motion sickness all the time. I would get so sick driving that I thought I was going to pass out. I cried continuously and I seriously could have killed someone if they looked at me wrong! Okay...this fill is perfect! I feel restriction...I stay full...I can still drink water quickly. Wow! Exciting!

So here is the thing. You are doing it the right way, and you are going to find long term success. My guess is you are working on changing your lifestyle, eating habits, and types of food you eat. When you get your TT, you are most likely not going to gain the weight back. Have you ever seen someone that has gained weight after having a TT? They tend not to gain it in the stomach, but instead it goes to their back. Talk about the ultimate back roll!!! It is alright to feel jealous...after all we are human. But try to turn the jealousy into something healthy...like pride. Pride in what you have accomplished, and where you will be. Good luck and keep up the great work.

So I am not a Jan bandster, but I have had incredible success and I try NEVER to go below 800 calories, and only go that low when I am on liquids. I know that some people lose efficiently on 600 calories and some don't. You need to toy around with what you eat and find what will work for you. I know a lot of people who cycle their calories. 600 one day, 1000 the next, 750 etc. This is a very individual journey and it is all about you. Good luck and keep trying. Use the time to change your lifestyle. This isn't a diet, but a lifestyle. Believe me you can eat a lot of food for 1000 calories, if you are choosing the right ones. Best wishes!

Totally off subject! So my BF emailed me last night and had just had it with his job. He hates it...he always has. Now he wants to go part time. He works at a call center doing customer service, but he just is not a fit with the level of "concern" they have to show. He really is one of those, "that sucks, now move on with life" kind of people...and at this company they actually tell you to lie to the customer so that you can "relate" to their experience. Well...he won't do it. Lying is not in his nature (a good trait to have for a BF!) We had talked about him going part time earlier because I just don't have the time, energy or desire to do housework, laundry, cooking and work the hours that I do. He likes doing that. 90% of the time he does the work, but I feel guilty because he does work too. I totally support this decision, but am a little worried that we won't be able to afford it. If I don't get the tummy tuck this year, no problem. If I do, then we only have 400$ a month for food and gas. Now we both live within a mile of our jobs ( and I won't be commuting during the summer) so even with outrageous gas prices we spend less then 50$ a month on gas. I don't know that I am asking for advice (though any will be accepted) or what I am doing. I don't know how to feel about this. My fear is that he is going to hate his job so much that he is just going to say "I am leaving here (central oregon) with or without you." Right now I can't afford to leave a 43000$ per year job. Not to mention that I am actually excited for next school year. There are a lot of changes and some of the problems that I am having with my classes right now will be COMPLETELY eliminated next year. I am actually starting to like teaching again (despite all my complaining!) Ask me in a few days and I may hate it again, but for all of you who work you understand the love hate relationship that you have with it. I really feel that the tummy tuck is important for me, but my BF is too. His goal is not find another part time (or full time job and leave this one completely) so that he can go back to contributing more. Guess just venting more than anything.

Ruby - Here is a toast to big, beautiful, and symmetrical boobies:Banane20::huh2:. Good luck! My fingers are crossed for you!

I went here and it says that I burn 2773 per day! Maybe 1500 calories won't be too bad after all! Even after years of doubling that number daily it seems like an unbearable amount of food now!

Got in another hour of cardio and weights. I still had about a half hour to go with the weights but I forgot I had an eye doctor appointment and had to run out abruptly!

Wow totally missed your post this morning! Problem...I don't use butters or oils. I haven't cooked with them at all, just a spritz of pam spray! So I asked my doc what happens if I only get to 1000 calories by the end of dinner and I am supposed to get 500 more. He said to maybe eat a sensible snack after dinner (total no no for me before), but not to just eat crap to get to a certain amount of calories. Damn I was hoping to supplement with a snickers bar every day:tongue2: Okay obviously just kidding!!!! I think this is just another learning process. I am not going to do it right the first day or the first week. But I will learn slowly and I am sure I will get there. I just dread the day that I actually go UP!:thumbup: So the plan/schedule we came up with is Breakfast 6:30 Snack 9:00 lunch 11:30 Snack 2:30 Dinner 5:30 Snack 7:30 if needed Problem is that I am going to have to be very diligent in the Water consumption becuase that limits the amount of time that I can drink. The whole band way of eating seemed intimidating and daunting when I started that and in reality I adapted very easily. I am sure that I will do the same here. But I have been in the business of losing weight for 20 years (almost 3/4 of my life!) so this is TOTALLY new for me. I have never actually hit a goal weight so I have NEVER been on maintenance. I don't worry too much about protein...I am an Atkins girl so it has always been protein first. I think that is where I am going to have to relent a little. I can add a few more carbs in. I hate Protein shakes so I eat the Protein Bars. They also serve as a replacement for any kind of candy/sugar fix that I needed. Of course I get the low carb bars:redface:! But on a good note I like them the best too!! I guess I will be the guinea pig for those of you not yet in maintenance...you can see what I do right and what I do wrong. In a way I envy those of you who still are doing the same thing...I like routine. I am so glad that I have you all, because otherwise I would feel like a zebra in an open field with hungry lions all around just waiting for me to make the wrong move before the swooped in and devoured me. But I know that I will always have a safety net here! I know that you will never ignore me or stop caring just because I have reached that "magic" number. This is a life long struggle and I have found life long friends and family here. Well I am supposed to be in a meeting but instead I am watching kids retake their tests (some for the 3rd time:scared2:) but at least they keep trying:thumbup:

Do you know how much food you can eat at 1500 calories. :tongue: WTH? Why couldn't I do this before the band? I am actually overwhelmed by how much I am supposed to be eating!! I think I am going to have to relent and eat some higher calorie foods because otherwise I am going to feel like I am eating all day long. I have been such a rule follower for the last 7 months that it feels weird to try and eat so much. Maintenace is SCARY:scared2: Technically I can still lose weight but he wants me to slow it down...so now after learning all the damn rules and doing everything just so...I have to change. You should see the look I am giving this computer as I type this. I am not counting calories today because I am still on liquids, but I was planning on what I was going to have for lunch and dinner tomorrow. Holy Crap it was a lot of food. My BF suggested I just don't count calories. Just eat healthy foods like I have been and just not count the calories. Anyone else think I can do this....Yeah that is what I thought...little miss anal retentive calorie counter just say "sure...why not...throw caution to the wind" then freaking pass out when the scale goes up a pound! Okay little over dramatic there. Maybe I will try that...just for a week and see how it goes. I mean heck I just got a fill, I can't really do too much damage if I stick to healthy foods, right? Alright needed a little free flowing thought moment. Don't feel compelled to respond to this little moment of insanity...but I know you all missed it while I was gone this weekend!

Ahh. Shucks. Thanks. :thumbup: I am certain that everythig will go spectacularly tomorrow...well that is for you crazy one that wants them that big. Too bad that can't do a boob transplant. I have more than I want... I would gladly give some up to you!!! I am pretty certain your family can put Cereal in a bowl and pour milk. If not, they need lessons. When I babysat my dad's son for a weekend (he was 12) and he couldn't do anything so I made him. He learned how to make mac n' cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, and spaghetti. His parents are too wimpy on him so I figured he needed some tough love. Actually it turned out that he thought it was fun and I kind of created a monster. From then on he wanted to cook all the time.

Yeah we have rain. I lived in Western Oregon and Western Washington for all but one year of my life and I miss the rain!

Janet - If you want to use the ball without your trainer there, scoot it up close to the wall so that your knees are resting against the wall and do the sit ups. That will help balance you.

Since my doctor knew that finances were an issue he recommended that I use the financing throught doctorssayyes.com. He has sent many patients to the doctor that uses that financing program in my area, and they have had good results. The surgery fee is 6499$, 999$ anesthesia, and 999$ hospital. This company works with doctors to provide financing and lower costs, but the availability of consultations and surgery dates are limited. Aftercare is not a problem just the initial part. But since I am planning surger for several months out I should be fine. Yes I can see that I am thin when I am clothed, but as you can tell from my belly pictures, it is a very difficult thing for me to deal with. I am sure that you can all relate! It was starting to get very frustrating that it just wouldn't go away no matter how little I ate or how much I exercised. That is why the doc really suggested that I get it. He said that in his experience he has just found that when people have my body shape and they don't get the tummy tuck they put weight back on because they can't really tell much of a difference. He did say that I could be down to a size 6 (and maybe lower) when I finished. HOLY CRAP! I am really not trying to think of that right now. Even if I stay a size 10 I would be fine. I just don't want to look down and feel like Jabba the Hut's sister! Fill is a little tight. Forgot about it and took a big swig of my protein drink this morning and just about pb'd all over the tests I was grading! OOPS. If I take it slow I am good. Okay gotta get back to work!

Oh and thanks again for the compliments. I tell everyone about my band, so that was never an issue for me. But my nutritionist told me not to tell anyone. I talk a lot and there was no way that I could have hid an 80 pound weightloss from my students...they would have thought I was on drugs or something!

Asking for a price certainly does not offend me. I am paying 8500$ But again I am going to have to travel for the surgery... only three hours this time! Around here it was 17000-22000. Couldn't afford that. I am fortunate that I don't have a lot of bills: My car, my surgery, rent, and insurance. I don't have credit cards...and I don't have a family. I don't have to worry about anyone but me. And for the first time in my life, that is who I am taking care of. It is a great feeling.

WARNING: BELLY FLAB PICTURES BELOW:thumbdown::tt2::smile::blushing::thumbup: Belly flab.bmp

Correction to the fill tightness...just about pb'd on Jello!! Actually I think it was because the phone rang and my brother changed my ring tone this weekend and I didn't know it so it scared me and I swallowed without chewing. I know...chewing Jello... only a fellow bandster would understand. Janet- Don't know if I will be famous, but I was pretty excited. I scolded a few people in the waiting room today because they were complaining that they were not losing weight and it had been a year and when they asked me my stats I told them...They said you must be the lucky one...I said nope, I just follow the rules, exercise, and changed my lifestyle. I did kind of say it with an attitude because I had sat there for 20 minutes listening to them talk about all the "grazing" they do and all the rules they break. What can I say...they needed a kick in the butt. I of course followed it up that there were ramification of losing weight quickly and that I had tons of excess skin...but I don't think they really cared. Fortunately for me there was another girl in there who was about the same age that I was that had lost 175 pounds in three years and she backed me up on everything. Glad someone had my back! Okay will try to take pictures and post. I will put a warning for people who want to ignore.

Ahhhh....I am back! So I did get two workouts this weekend for a total of 2 hours. And I got my fill. AND I have good news. I did not think that I was a candidate for plastic surgery because I just thought that I had a lot of flab that I just needed to work off from exercise, but my doc said that no matter how much I work out this excess skin and "flab" (my words not his!) was not going to go away. So I decided to just see if I could get financed for the PS and I did. My consult is scheduled for April 4 and then tenatively scheduled surgery for my birthday (July 1). My dad helped me with my financial planning and we found out that I could indeed afford it without putting my retirement too far out of whack. I am only 28 so I have some wiggle room. On another good note my doc wants me to come in for a photo shoot to put my pictures on his website's before and after pictures as well as on the poster/pictures he has hanging around the office. I was in awe. Also, he upped my calories to 1500 because he is concerned that I will actually lose to much weight prior to having surgery. According to his projections he thinks that I should lose 15-20 pounds after PS. I have a fairly muscular build and he doesn't want me to risk losing muscle tone just to reach a certain weight. He doesn't want me to lose more than 10 pounds before surgery. He said after surgery we can reevaluate and see if I need to lose any more, but both him and I think that once this "flab" is gone that I won't need to lose any more. I really think that I can attribute this quick weightloss to exercise, so more than ever I have a renewed committment to it. Too bad I can't go to the gym today...but I didn't work so I probably should go to the gym...both of my bosses workout there!

Okay I read all the posts and I am exhausted. As much as I would LOVE to meet everyone, there is no way that I am going to be able to make it. Just in the last hour I got financed for my tummy tuck and tentatively scheduled it for my birthday (July 1). We scheduled the consult for April 4, but because I was so adament that I needed the surgery the first 2 weeks of July they just scheduled me for the surgery. This is one of the doctors that my doctor recommended, but obviously I will make the decision after I meet him on the 4th. This doc is only 3 hours away from where I live!!! It sucks living in the middle of nowhere. Though Steph is has it much worse than I! Made some homemade chicken soup and then blended it so that I can eat it. I think I am going to like the level of my restriction! Okay more news from the doctor, I was so anxious to go and read the posts that I didn't tell everything. WHen I went in and saw him we talked about how much weight I have to lose and the best way to get there. Even though I have 20 pounds to go, he doesn't really want me to lose that much before the PS. He is afraid that if I do I am going to start sacrificing muscle tone. He took a bunch of measurments and based on those he feels that I would lose 15-20 pounds just from the surgery, so technically I am at my goal without the extra skin. So he wants me to up my calories to 1500 and see if I can slow the weightloss to .5-1 pound per week. Also he wants me working hard with the weights and 30-45 minutes of cardio daily. He said my 1.5 hours was too much and since the only reason I was doing that was to get rid of my belly which isn't going away...I conceded. So my revised goal prior to surgery is 160. The reason that he wants me to go to this amount of calories is so that we can judge where I can be in maintenance. I was shocked to say the least. I kept trying to convince him that I really wanted to lose down to 150, but he said "I don't think you will look healthy." He really is concerned that if I stay at this low of calories at my weight that I am going to lose muscle mass, which is NOT what either one of us wants. So I am going to do what he says. He is convinced that once my excess skin and tissues is gone that I am actually going to have a pretty low body fat percentage. YIPEEEEE!!! I really can't believe that I am going to have surgery again, but I think it will be helpful for me mentally. I will feel like I am done and that I have accomplished my goal. Right now, my belly skin is SOOOOO bad that when I look at myself naked I truly feel like I am failing at this. I look at myself clothed or I look at the scale and I am overjoyed, but if you could see my belly...you would understand. Perhaps I should make a blog and post the belly pictures so you could see what I am dealing with. I don't know that I want to post it here, because I am afraid some people would be offended. Okay I had best get to my school work cause I have to get tests graded by tomorrow or I am not going to have to worry about losing weight cause my students will probably hang me!

I'm baaaaaaccccckkkk! Just got home from my marathon drive and fill!:sneaky::biggrin::drool:. I haven't read a post on here but I wanted to share my news before I went back and read everyone's posts because I am sure it will take me an hour or so! Officially down 80 pounds as of my doctors scale. I think there is about a 2 lb difference. So after my fill, the office manager asked if I could wait for about 10 minutes because she wanted me to see the doctor. Fortunately she asked me that prior to going in to have my fill, because otherwise I probably would have panicked. When I go in there he is RAVING about my weight loss. Then he asked me if I had thought about plastic surgery or if I thought I needed it. I told him that I was trying to work off my rolls through exercise, but I just wasn't seeing any results:thumbdown:. He asked to see what my skin looked like and as soon as I pulled my shirt up to show him, he said "that is not going away with exercise." He told me that I could do sit ups and core workouts until I was 90 and the only difference that I would see is that it would be further south! He proceeded to tell me that I was one of the biggest successes that he had seen in his practice:thumbup:, but that he thought that I really needed plastic surgery. He said he has seen many patients with my body type who get so frustrated that they don't look any different in terms of body shape that they end of gaining some weight back just because in reality you can't tell the difference. That being said they want me to do a photo shoot for their office posters and website on my 1 year bandiversary. :thumbup: As for plastic surgery, I think I am going to try and see if I can afford it. I talked to my dad who does my financial planning and he said that because I am so young and do have a pension through my job that I should be okay not investing into my retirement for 2 years, which is what it would take to pay off the lap-band surgery and be able to pay for the plastic surgery. So that was my good news. My fill doesn't appear to be too tight. I have been able to get down 2 protein shakes since 11:30 along with some water, so I am no where near as tight as I was for my last fill!!! Okay you will hear from me again as I read through the posts.

Don't spank me please!!! It would have been fine if it was good cereal, but this was Fruity Dino Pebbles! ANd it wasn't necessarily that I was eating it, but why I was eating it. I ws not hungry just frustrated, stressed, and tired. The scale was not pretty this morning, but since it is not an official weigh in day I am not changing my ticker. Aunt Flo is arriving on Sunday and I usually gain a couple pounds a few days before. Alright so the real reason that I am writing. I will not be around until late Monday. Didn't want my mommy or the rest of my family to worry! I don't know what I am going to do with out this board. IT is going to take me hours to read all the posts when I get back. Fill on MOnday. AMEN. Just remind me when I am really tight and can't get much down that I wanted this fill!!! Gotta go...six hour drive here I come. I will miss you!!!

Nana - Remember this is not a race and most of us have not had the setback that you did with your accident. I had an ingrown toenail on my big toe and I could barely exercise, I can't imagine how hard it would be for you! I am glad that you are alright and that hospital sounds horrid. Slow and steady wins the race!!! Besides you might not have to deal with the hanging droopy belly that I have now! Good job on all you have accomplished!

Didn't post yesterday but I got another hour in. I am going to visit my brother this weekend and he does not have internet access so I will not be posting. I am going for a jog with my BF this morning before I get in my car and drive for 6 hours. Though it will totally be worth it. I am going with my Dad to the opera, get to spend time with my brother and then end it with a fill. Ahhhhh...restriction again. Have a good weekend and happy working out!

Wow when you got to onederland you jumped fully in. Look at that 2 pounds below! Congrats you have done wonderful!! It is so exciting to get there.