DivaStyleCoach

Thanks, Ceradad - I am not-so-patiently waiting for a local job opportunity to pan out so I can ditch my commute, and then I'll have more time to focus on my workouts. I will make a serious effort to get my rowing up to more than 30 minutes, though - with the machine in my house it's only my lack of fitness that's holding me back right now. Heck, if I can't sleep some night, I may just get up and row! :eek:

I'm a definate TBL addict! I have taken recipes from the show and used them, but I agree, some additional time on preparing and planning healthy meals would be welcome. I wish the Brown team dad would just keep his bad knees in the pool and do his extra workouts there - it's gotta feel better for him and it would be an extra dimension they could add to the show - more water-based exercises for those too heavy (or too injured) to do the standard killer routines they do on the show. When I worked as a lifeguard, I met a woman who had lost over 200 pounds by swimming. She had a lot of excess skin, and was planning surgery to get rid of it, but she was much healthier and happier. She still was a little "soft" compared to weight trainers, but she was happy. That whole Tara / Blaine thing made me go "Hmmm" as well - seems she was just a bit TOO upset for that to have been entirely platonic on her part. I guess they could have just bonded over a shared experience, but still...as a wife that kind of thing raises red flags with me.

Mornin' Warriors! Question for y'all that work out on the regular - went for my second fill yesterday and the PA / nurse who took my vitals asked me how I was doing exercise-wise (because I gained two pounds :eek:) and I told her I was walking daily, trying to up the intensity by going faster over the same distance, and started rowing. She responded with the "old" wisdom that the first 20 minutes of aerobics is burning sugar and only after that do you burn fat. She then recommended that I increase my time to at least 40 minutes and longer if I can handle it. I simply don't have the time for that - I walk in the mornings with the dog and don't have an extra half-hour to do a longer walk. I walk at lunchtime and don't have an additional half-hour to do it. I had to give up my gym membership for economic reasons, but when I was there I did do a minimum of 30 min on the elliptical or the treadmill. So what are your thoughts on duration vs intensity? I can definately make the 30 min threshold on a regular basis, but any more than that (with my commute back and forth taking major time out of my day as well) I just can't seem to manage. Thoughts?

Mornin' Notorious Novembers! Fill appt yesterday went without a hitch - I now have 3cc's in a 10cc band. Doc told me I had 1.5cc in my first fill, and they put in another 1.5 yesterday. I'm hoping that this is my "sweet spot" and I'll have good restriction for more than a few days. So far, the head hunger is still roaring, but I've had a protein shake and some mushy fruit (canned pears) this morning and I'm doing okay. I'm praying this is going to do me for a while - I gained a couple of pounds since the 1st fill, and while my doc is not too upset, I AM! :eek: My goal is to lose 10 - 20 before my next visit in one month. That means I've got to kill that hunger dragon dead and follow a better eating plan. I've been eating good food, just far too much of it! Will keep checking in - hope everyone has a wonderful end-of-the-week and a great weekend!

Good morning Sistas! My fill yesterday was interesting...the first fill I recieved, my surgeon did it. Yesterday, he had an intern (short white coat - my mom's telltale sign of an intern) and a resident plus himself do the appointment, and the resident did the fill. They of course encouraged me to get my exercise in - and I had to bite my tongue, so to speak, because the nurse who checked me in and took my vitals started spouting the old wisdom about needing at least 20 min of aerobic exercise before fat burning starts. We know that's not entirely true - you can gain aerobic fitness and burn fat by upping the intensity level, not just from extending the time... Anyway, he checked out my port location, then pressed down a bit with both hands, and before I knew it (almost before he could say "Here comes a little stick", he had found the port! Nice technique...I didn't feel much at all. My doc did tell me I have a 10cc band, and the first fill they put in 1.5cc, and another 1.5 this time. I have 3 cc in a 10 cc band now. Drank some Water afterwards and really didn't feel a lot of restriction, but somewhere else on the site I've seen a message that said when you start burping, that's your first signal that you've got enough. I'm on liquids for the next 24 hours, mushies for 24 hours after that, and then back to regular food. I had a Protein shake this morning and have eaten some canned fruit (yeah - not liquid, but so mushy it didn't bother me) and we'll see what the rest of the day brings. I'm hoping for relief from the unending hunger that has been with me for the past two weeks. Also - I have updated my ticker - I gained two pounds! :eek: I'm gonna work hard to get rid of that - my doc wants to see me in another month. My mini-goal is to lose at least 10 pounds (and preferably 20) before I see him again. Have a great day, ladies!

Mornin' Crew! I actually liked the show a lot last night...creative ways of working out with no access to a gym - that was cool. What is up with the brown and pink teams having access to the gym and then NOT posting big numbers on the scale? Well, brown did pretty well - Dad needs to STAY in the pool and stay off his knees to help his weight loss - and the son did really well. Pink annoys me - the daughter with her whining - and I don't think she really wanted to go home, she just said that and I think she was hoping Mom would contradict her and go home. I think she needed it more, but Mom is a stronger competitor. Green team - gotta love Tara - more and more each week she impresses me with her effort. Had a bit of a meltdown this week, but after so much, who wouldn't? She has a bit of a slug for a team mate and in challenges where she is depending on her, it sucks. Next week seems to be the week for shaking up the teams - and there will be a new blue team and a new black team. One more way to create drama... Bob seems to be channelling Jillian lately - what is up with that? And crying next week? WTF? I guess I'm too hardcore - I love it when Jillian gets all psycho on people and snaps them out of whatever pity party they are having. On to next week! :blushing:

Mornin' Ladies! Crzytchr - I started at a 6T in the Yellow line for LB's Right Fit jeans, and now I'm down to a 4T (Tall) in the Red line...you're right - it's really cool to watch the sizes change and know that you're making progress, even if the scale isn't moving. Can't wait to get to a Red 2! That will be a day for celebration! The Red 4's are fitting looser (mostly in the butt, which I'm not thrilled about, but oh well) and I'm hoping to make it to a Red 3 by the middle of March. Congrats anne - keep up the good work!

Mornin' Warriors! Rowed 1500m last night - I'm just starting, so I'm trying not to overdo. Felt pretty good until right at the end when my shoulders questioned my sanity... Would have been really easy to skip it, but I have to walk past the bedroom where the rower is to get to my bedroom, so it constantly reminds me that it's there waiting for me... Walked 1.5 miles at lunch yesterday - cut 5 minutes off my time. I was hustling! May not get a walk in today - fill appt scheduled for this afternoon, but will get something additional in today. Rowing if nothing else. Staying inspired looking at what y'all are doing...keep up the good work!:blushing:

Hey Ladies, I think I'm in perimenopause - I've just turned 46 and in the last year, my periods have gone from every-28-days-you-can-set-your-clock-by-them to come-when-they-wanna and skip-when-they-wanna...it's really quite strange. I used to be able to tell absolutely by the full moon when my period was coming, no longer. Funny enough, I had more hot flashes / night sweats BEFORE I was banded than since. Since being banded I am cold all the time - it's way too weird. I hope it's moving into full fledged menopause - I don't know if my timing is normal because my mom and my sister both had hysterectomies because of fibroid tumors. I have them too (making for some very heavy days and clots during my period) but so far no indication that surgery is definately in my future. I wouldn't necessarily mind if it is - I'm done having children (my youngest is 18) and don't want any more.

Hey fellow Bandsters, I'm in the same spot with a lot of you...going for my second fill tomorrow because after my first one in January, I lost a bit but not much and I feel very little restriction. I know I fell off the exercise wagon in January, and February is shaping up to be much better in that regard. I haven't been eating what I should, and I'm getting better there too. Not as bad as I used to be, but not as good as I should be. I'm praying my second fill gives me a good level of restriction so I can break some of my bad food habits and keep moving forward. I am exercising more and soon will be eating less. I am a big fan of The Biggest Loser and they do talk about our bodies needing to adjust - perhaps this is what some of us are going through? Our bodies are so used to hanging on to EVERYTHING we eat that they have become really efficient at it - and it may take a while for them to realize we're really not 'starving' them and they can let go of the weight. Of course take this advice with a grain (or a pound) of salt, because I haven't figured it out either, but I'm still trying LOL I have had NSV's - my clothes are fitting better and my blood sugar numbers are much better. Hopefully I'll be off the meds soon and can say I am a former type II diabetic. Maybe setting mini-goals that have nothing to do with pounds can help - I am challenging myself to do my normal 30-minute walk in less time for the same distance - meaning I have to move my butt faster. Here's hoping it works! :tongue2:

Hey Ladies, Jumping in here...I'm struggling with weight loss too. I got my first fill in early January, and felt restriction for about a week, then it was gone. I'm scheduled for a second fill tomorrow and I'm hoping that jumpstarts my weight loss again. I think I may have lost like 2 pounds, which is NOTHING! I'm not happy with that and I want to lose more - not necessarily faster, just more. I am still fighting head hunger and stomach hunger, and I feel like I can still eat WAY more than I should. I have been making better food choices, but January was a bad month for exercise and I am not losing. February has started better, at least - I am exercising more (walking every day, getting on the rowing machine my hubby brought home) and I'm praying that plus a good fill will make the difference. Have noticed some NSV's with clothing and my blood sugar numbers are dropping lower, so that is good. I'm wondering if the insulin I'm taking is affecting my weight loss - I sure hope not. I think I need to lose another 25 - 30 pounds in order to get off the meds and that's my next mini-goal. Nice to see you two staying active on the boards - I know I haven't been around much, but I'll get better! :tongue2:

Hey Sista! I got mine in early January - approximately 6 weeks after surgery. My doctor wouldn't do one any sooner because they feel you need to heal completely before giving you a fill. I have read that some doctors don't feel that way, but that was my experience. I'm scheduled for another one tomorrow - right after the fill I felt some restriction for about a week, but nothing now and I'm overeating again...getting a little disheartened, but hopefully after tomorrow afternoon I'll be better able to control the head hunger and the stomach hunger.:tongue2:

PJTP...I'm gonna miss the get-together at Lulu's ranch!:tt2: Too bad I'm all the way up here in Connecticut - y'all have fun now, ya hear? :tongue2:

Hi Fab Fourties! I'm still struggling along with the weight loss - nothing really new to report. I have scheduled another fill tomorrow, so I'm hoping that does it. January was a bad month for exercise, but I'm back on the bandwagon where that is concerned. The NSV's keep coming re: clothing. Things are fitting much better than before, my tummy is 'softer' because there's not so much fat making it harder LOL and my legs are trimming down too. The walking is responsible for that, I think. Started rowing in earnest yesterday - have had the machine for a while, but procrastinated getting on it and getting started. No more - I'll be rowing at least 4 days a week to help boost my weight loss. I continue to walk in the mornings and have re-started my lunchtime walks. My speed is up, so is my energy, and I'm hoping this is the beginning of the "losing times". I have noticed my blood sugar has been really good lately - I know that's because of my band and my re-committing to exercise. Hoping to get off of my last oral med and the insulin shortly. I think losing another 25 - 30 pounds will do it, so that's my next mini-goal. Nice to see everyone's checking in and see the victorious results. Keep up the good work - all of you!:tongue2:

Good morning Warriors, I've been absent for a while, but now I'm back!:tongue2: January was not a good month, but February is shaping up to be a much better one. I've been walking as usual, but had a serious challenge with the gym I had joined, so I'm no longer a member there. Luckily, my hubby brought me home a rowing machine (he does maintenance at a gym, they were getting rid of them, he adopted one) and I've started rowing. Only doing 1000 meters right now, but working up to a full half-hour is my goal. I'll keep reporting my progress as I go on... I'm scheduled for a second fill tomorrow, and hoping that it will give me some real restriction and I can start dropping pounds again. I lost a few after the first fill, but they are back and threatening to bring friends with them! Y'all continue to inspire me...I'm going to finish out this month with flying colors!:tt2:

PJTP...I am so hungry I could chew my own arm off! I got my first fill in early January after the holidays, and I felt the restriction for about a week - 10 days, then nothing. I've been struggling ever since and just called to make a second fill appt. I'm almost looking FORWARD to being on liquids for a day or two...that's how bad the head hunger is right now, and the stomach isn't far behind... Will report in once I'm done on Wednesday afternoon...

Hey Notorious Novembers, I'm getting caught up on all the messages - I think I need to go for another fill. I had one iin early January, a little over 5 weeks ago, and felt some restriction early on, but by the two-week point, I didn't feel it any more. :biggrin: I think I'm still eating too much - I've only lost a couple of pounds since the fill, and that's not enough (or at least I don't think so). I still feel hungry - all the time, it seems - and I'm being pretty good about not drinking with my meals. I have PB'ed a couple of times when I took too big a bite of something (usually because I waited too long to eat) but otherwise, I don't feel a lot of restriction.:cursing: I've not been the best with my workouts, though I have gotten back to walking again more regularly now that the bitter cold days seem to be gone. January was a bad month exercise-wise. Perhaps I'll try to be really good this week and see how it goes - if I can't make something move soon, though, I will schedule another fill and see if that does it. It's mostly the hunger that is distressing me - I feel hungry ALL THE TIME, and I'm not good at fighting the hunger (it's why I needed the band in the first place!). I don't eat the same things I would have pre-band, but I still am getting too many calories. I track them via an application called "Lose It" on my iPhone, and it has me limited to approx 1600 cal per day. I think I'm eating too much and will try to back it down this week. All suggestions / head checks welcome!

Just read the latest updates... Tina - stay strong! Definately take your time, because you do want to be ready for the break when it comes. Be careful of allowing too much back-and-forth with him - if he's still doing all the same things (i.e. taking care of kids, etc), he may feel that nothing really has changed and that you'll change your mind eventually. Stay consistent with your message - don't give him any mixed signals if you can avoid it. You can't necessarily determine what he will see as a mixed signal, but you can keep a respectful distance between you while you are re-defining your relationship from being a married couple to being a separated couple. Re: the young boys hitting on you - you are projecting a different kind of energy! You are loving yourself, and they can feel that on an elemental level, so they want to be around you. Can you really blame them? Enjoy it, girlfriend, for the ego boost that it is, but take your time with that as well. Tamalina - my heart aches for you - I also understand about 'hurting his feelings' but don't let that stop you from doing what YOU need to do for YOU. It can't be easy to remain cordial when you know what he's done and how it made you feel. Maybe you should consider counseling - for you, not necessarily to try and save your relationship. Perhaps by getting clarity about who you are becoming and what you ultimately want, it will be easier to make the decision. I definately can't tell ya what to do - I haven't been where you are - but I do relate. My hubby's challenges were with flirting on the web, and some of that turned into phone calls, but nothing in person (that I know of - they were all several states away and not easily met in person). He hasn't repeated the bad behavior (and yes, I still check), so I think we'll be okay, but I still have my days when I'm really furious with him, and others where I think I'll be able to put it out of my head. We are still working on our relationship - at least, I feel that way. Things have been great lately, but I still find myself wanting to remind him of the pain he caused and exactly what he did that I found wrong. My challenge is with handling the distrust I now feel for him. I WANT to trust him completely, but I'm not sure that I ever can again, and that makes me very sad. He has been very up-front about the fact that he doesn't want to lose me and doesn't want our marriage to end. That is why I stay...I do love him. I think if I ever found out he'd gotten physical with another woman, I wouldn't be able to forgive that and no matter how much it hurt, I would leave. I wish you clarity and peace, Tamalina, so that you can make a decision that's good for you and for your children.

Hey Warriors, Haven't posted in a while - January was NOT a good month for my workouts... Back on track now, though - been walking every day at work now that the sidewalks are much clearer. Still haven't been in the gym, work has been a bit crazy and I don't have any energy when I leave. Will be going to the gym this weekend to hopefully re-jump start my habit. DH does maintenance at a gym and they were tossing rowing machines, so he brought one home. Already downloaded a workout for it to my IPhone, so I'll be breaking that in this weekend. Ya'll put this sometimey-jock-wanna-be to shame!:ohmy:

Just found this thread... I still douche - but only after my period ends. I hate the end-of-period smell! TMI Alert - I also douche after more "active" periods of sex, because depending on what my DH eats, his semen smells funny after we have sex. Not the same day, but the next day...if we're going at it like bunnies, I find I WANT to do it more, but an external wash with soap and Water will usually take care of it. I find it interesting that there is advice NOT to do it...my mom was a Nurse and she recommended it to me because she did it. Not sure there was a medical backing for it back then, and by the postings here, there isn't one now. Because I'm a type II diabetic, I am more prone to yeast infections, but when my blood sugar is under control, I have no problems and since being banded, I haven't had a single one.

Hey y'all! PJTP...:wub: I'm doing fine - not much to report on the weight loss front, but my clothes are getting looser and I feel great. Been slacking off on the gym workouts, but walking more and loving that too. :ohmy: DD is enjoying being 18, with a little money in her pocket and decent grades, so now she can go places and do things :thumbup: ...nice change for her, because she gets privileges revoked when the grades are crappy... DH is planning a return to school - and finding the right curriculum is proving to be a bit of a challenge. He's interested in a lot of things, but either Civil or Electrical engineering are calling him right now. :w00t: I'm doing well at work, still waiting for a call from a job closer to home - the economy has slowed down their already slow hiring process, but I can be patient...:thumbup: Missed y'all - and had about 10 pages to read through!!! Happy Friday, Everybody - have a terrific weekend!:w00t:

Good morning Bandsters! Checking in after a somewhat long absence...I'm doing okay. Not a lot of loss on the scale, but I am getting smaller because my size in clothes has changed. I'm down two jean sizes and loving that. I didn't exercise a lot in January, but I'm doing better in February. I have been walking again at work and my hubby recently brought home a rowing machine (he does maintenance on the machines at a gym and they were getting rid of three machines). I'm hoping that more exercise and watching what I eat more carefully will get me started on the losing track again. I got my first fill on Jan 5th, and felt restriction for about a week, but then it "loosened" and my restriction was gone. I've been struggling a bit since then - but a couple of days ago, I pb'ed two days in a row on food that never caused me a problem before. I read somewhere that fills can take a bit to "catch up" with you, and I'm hoping that now I'll feel more restriction and be able to get the weight off. Hang in there, everyone - we are going to make it through this! I have a special occasion coming up at the end of this month - a special date night with me and my hubby, and I have a new outfit that's a bit tight right now, but I'm planning to wear that night. I'll report back and let ya'll know how I'm doing, but it's my own personal mini-challenge for February!:bananalama:

Good morning Fab Fourties! Haven't checked in for a while, so today seemed like a good day to do so... January was a tough month - got my fill on Jan 5th, felt restriction for a couple of days, but within two weeks felt like it was all gone and I was struggling with eating too much again. I have been bouncing up and down the same 2 - 3 pounds the whole month and I'm frustrated. I haven't been exercising as much, which is part of my problem, but my hubby helped solve that for me recently. He does maintenance on machines at a local gym and they were getting rid of three of their older rowing machines. They are in good working order (plus he knows how to fix them) so he brought one home. I'll be getting on it tonight for the first time and I've downloaded a couple of beginner workouts to try. My clothes are changing - I'm down two jean sizes (great NSV) and other things are loosening up. I can button and zip jackets that I couldn't before surgery, and that makes me happy. A couple of days ago, I pb'ed twice on food that never gave me trouble before - once at lunch and the next day at lunch. Very weird - felt like I had an air bubble trapped, but then up came the food! Yuck! :bananalama: I have been watching my intake for the past couple of days and feel like I'm more restricted now. I've heard on other posts that sometimes it takes a bit for the fill to "catch up" with you, but never experienced it until now. I'm hoping this continues at least through February, and maybe I'll look for another fill in March. I turned 46 on Feb 2nd, and I'm determined to make it to my goal before I turn 47! Here's wishing for steady progress for all of us!

Hey Notorious Novembers! I haven't posted here in a minute, so I thought I'd check in...I did okay through the holidays and went for my first fill on January 5th. It was kind of a non-event - my doctor doesn't numb the area around the port because he says if he's on his game, I won't have to endure more needle sticks because he'll hit the port correctly the first time. Ooookay...well, he was right - he hit it the first time, so instead of a needle stick for the anesthetic and then another one for the port, I only had one, and he was done pretty quickly. I forgot to ask how much fluid he put in, but he was finished pretty quickly. He gave me some water to drink to make sure I could get it down, and then told me to come back if I was having trouble or my weight loss was slow or non-existent. The day of the fill, I was on liquids, then mushies for a day, and then back to solids. The first few days I felt restriction, and a few pounds came off. The next two weeks, I felt as if I hadn't had anything done and my hunger came roaring back. I was, to put it mildly, disappointed. I struggled through January with no real loss, just up and down the same 2 - 3 pounds. A couple of days ago, I pb'ed for the first time ever - on food that hadn't caused me any trouble a week earlier! It was the oddest feeling - like I had a gas bubble trapped, but when it came up, food came with it. YUCK! :bananalama: The next day, same issue - different food, but something that I had eaten before with no trouble, and I pb'ed again. I've read in other places on the site that sometimes it takes a while for a fill to "catch up" to you, and I'm wondering if that is what's happened to me. I've noticed that I feel more restriction since the two episodes, so I'm hopeful that the weight will start to come off more noticeably. I am down two sizes in my jeans (wonderful NSV) and some of my other clothes are starting to get looser. I can button and zip jackets easily that caused me trouble before surgery, and I'm happy about that. My winter coat is getting too big - I wore it today with another sweater coat underneath (single digit temps here in CT) plus my jacket, pullover and skirt. I'm down a shoe size as well, and feeling pretty good except for the disappointment at no real loss. Hanging in there, though - and my hubby brought me home a rowing machine (he does maintenance at a gym and they were going to toss 3 of their older machines) so I'll be getting that extra workout in. I must admit my workouts have been slack during January, so that's part of my problem with the weight loss. Looking forward to reporting better results at the end of February!:cheers2:

Hey folks... I agree that Joelle should have gone home - too bad Carla had to go too. I disagree that Carla is domineering - she DOES have a strong personality, and because Joelle is such a passive-aggressive wimp, it shows more. Joelle did not seem to have the commitment for the show from the very beginning - maybe she thought she'd be able to cruise through and come out the other side a little smaller? Anyone who has watched even one show should have known how HARD you have to work to make it. Losing 50% of your bodyweight (the mark for winners, it seems) is no easy feat. The 'after' meeting between Carla and Joelle just pointed to Joelle's deeper issues. She has been refusing to take responsibility for herself for so long, that she can't even talk about what happened at the ranch. I bet she'd blame someone, anyone else. I have very little patience for that. Carla really seems to be working hard - and I hope she winds up being the woman who loses the most of any TBL contestant. It would be such good motivation for women out there who weigh what she weighs. Many fitness "experts" say that the ranch environment is not realistic - and perhaps it isn't, but if Carla can lose what she needs to based on just two weeks of education at the ranch, who's to say that others can't do it with the help of a trainer to get them started? The brown team frustrates me a bit - why is Dad continuing to make excuses? He needs to get his butt in gear and do whatever he can (understanding that he has physical limitations) to make sure his son stays on the ranch if he is so concerned. They need Bob's attention if you ask me. Pink team daughter - the crying one - annoys me. Shut up and get over yourself! Crying because you "only" lost so much weight...give me a f'ing break! The blue team made me smile - Sione did his best while at home, and it shows. I hope one of them wins it all. Rant over...guess we'll see what happens next week!