PrtyAntOvrYt

Hey Sweet Mal! I've missed you and cutie Buster's face! You're good at working out! Remember the good thing about the Band is you can always return to it! We aren't perfect and unfortunately, we will never be perfect! We will be human! I can't believe my year is almost up too! Remember when I first started? Remember how scared I was to have surgery and then how excited I was to start my journey! Here I am 122 lbs lighter 10 1/2 months later! I feel 100% better and I am so thankful I found Dr. K, my Band and all of you! You've been there since the first day at Red Robin in October 2008! Thanks Mal! If there is anything I can do for you, please let me know!

I just noticed that you're greater than 1/2 of your way to goal! You have done so well! I look forward to meeting you! I think it's so interesting how each one of us is so unique, yet we have one thing in common, food addiction! We have allowed, food to control our lives. All of us has fought that battle! But I love that each of us is here for the same purpose - to win that battle and be victorious! No matter if you have 70 lbs to lose or like me, 270lbs! The battle is the same and we have to find what works for us. We come here for support and friendship. We come here for acceptance and to know we are not alone. This is a good place and I'm glad you're here! I'm also glad your new job is better! The nurse recruiter asked if I wanted to accept the other job I was offered on the same day, but turned down. I said, "oh, I better not! I'm pretty scared now about any new positions!" "I need to return to a place, I know I love." It's sad that it didn't work, but I am so so so thankful that I am able to return to the NICU. I shouldn't have tried to change at such an important time in my life. This is the time that I need to be focused on my weight, on working out and on making good changes that will support my new lifestyle. It's truly not the time in my life to make such a huge career change. I haven't worked out in 2 weeks! I'm so ashamed! And the worst part is I got out of the habit. A habit I had worked so hard to make is gone! I have to start all over again!

Thanks Deb! I am just thrilled!! This is a very happy time for me. I wasn't sleeping at all. I was so unhappy and just so angry at myself. Yeah, Dr. K told me the same, NO WHOLE PILLS! It was right after surgery I asked him how long I had to crush my pills and not just cut them in half. He was adamant! Almost angry that I asked to not have to crush them! He said, "The rest of your life you should be crushing your pills." The Lipitor was so bitter, I wanted a better way. Thank God I don't take the Lipitor or Lisinipril (sp?) anymore. I do have a friend (doesn't everyone?) who used to brag all of the time about being able to take her pills whole without problems. She had finally reached excellent restriction and she took a rather later antibiotic pill. It got stuck and she had to have a complete unfill for it to pass. She was severly stuck for 3 days! It wouldn't disolve or if it had, she had so much swelling that she couldn't even drink water. I know I always have the stories of doom! Sorry! But after that happened, I decided I'd never chance it! I had heard of the Gondi approach! I think I do okay with a bite or two of something as long as I am home and able to drown the rest of the item with water in the sink! Actually, I have found that it helps my craving to just have a bite! But I'm not strong enough to NOT eat the entire thing, if I don't soak it with water in the sink! Actually, they were very sweet. It was the job that was the a**hole! The people were very nice. Completed my first day of the Carb Cycle: It wasn't hard at all. When I woke up at 3am, I was hungry so I drank my Low Carb protein drink, 4 hours later, I had 2 Veggie breakfast sausages - they had 6 gms of carbs and 20 gms of protein in them. Then at lunch I had 3 oz of greek tofu with feta. In between lunch and breakfast I had 2 tbsp of cottage cheese, and for dinner I had an egg with a little LF cream cheese. Day 2 here I come!! :blushing:

I use www.CalorieKing.com I log all of my food to www.fitday.com but have found that their list is not as extensive. Calorie King has most everything I want.

Yes, I was pretty pathetic!!! How embarrassing!

It's not that, it's that in the last 3 days at work, I cried twice! AND I am sure I had the "Deer in the Headlight" look!

Thanks!!! Boobie banana is always necessary! I prayed and prayed and prayed. I hadn't been sleeping, I was so sad. So I called my old boss and told her I'd do anything and everything to be able to return! She called today and said they would be thrilled to have me back! I am thrilled to be had back!!!

Thanks Mini! My new boss was actually expecting it and she was very grateful that I quit before they spent too much money on my training! I've been there 11 days, so she was pleased that I let them know early! The last person stayed 6 months and then left! It was pretty costly!

Happy Days are here again!!! I'm going back to the NICU!!! My boss said it's like the daughter is coming home! I am thrilled!!

thanks Missy!!!

I have to say - I also think your hubby is one of the nicest guys on earth! I found him very sweet and he just adores you!!! You both are very fortunate to have one another!!

Cycle 2 starts on December 30. Cycle 3 starts on January 14. I have read a lot about Carb Cycling and how successful it is for weight loss. We'll see how it truly works! Let's hope it works!

You got it! The second cycle is perfect!!! By then I should know how doable this is! When is the wedding?

I've decided I'm going to follow the Plateau Buster's Diet for 10 days, add veggies and fruit back into my diet for 5 days and then return for 10 days to the Plateau Buster's. I have 45 days to my Bandiversary. I want so badly to be in Twoterville. I can do 3 cycles of 10/5's to equal 45 days. It will get me through the holidays and hopefully keep me on track. IF anyone wants to join me at any time - just let me know. We can post each day of what we are eating and how we moved our bodies. I know my personality and I need to have a very specific routine or else, I fail. It's okay if no one wants to join me, I just wanted to invite anyone out there who might me interested.

It is, but it also has the "eat 5 times a day" component that causes you to help stoke your energy! I've done it several times and it works. It's not easy, but it's doable. Once I'm on it for 3 or 4 days, I don't crave carbs anymore. I am hoping it will help me avoid caving during the holidays and not reaching my totally insane goal!

#1 Do for 10 days to break plateau #2 Drink 2 quarts of water a day #3 You must have 45 grams of protein supplement and all your vitamin & mineral supplements each day. #4 You may consume up to 3 oz. of the following high-protein foods, 5 times a day: * beef, * pork, * chicken, * turkey, * lamb, * fish, * eggs, * low-fat cheese, * cottage cheese, * plain yogurt (or artificially sweetened), * peanut butter, * beans/legumes. #5 You may also have: * sugar-free popsicles (avoid juice popsicles), * tea or coffee, * sugar-free sodas, * sugar-free Jello, * broths & bouillons, * Crystal Lite drinks. Absolutely no cheating and if it's not on this list you can't have it for 10 days. I don't do any protein supplements if I have gotten in at least 60grams of protein during the day.

Wow! That's great! I figured we have about 3 weeks left (or 2weeks and 4 days)... I think we are all doing pretty well! Thanks for keeping track of us losers!

It is ridiculous! I am not happy with the situation! I am 100% certain I wouldn't have accepted the job - just because of that, then you add in about another 5 reasons AND things couldn't be worse! I have 6 weeks and 2 days til my 1 year Bandiversary! I still have the goal of being in Twoderville! I hope I can make it! I am averaging 2.49lbs a week since my surgery. If I do that I'll lose 15lbs, but that's not enough to get me to Twoderville! I've got to bump it up a little! OR a lot! I'm going to do the Plateau Buster diet starting tomorrow! I'm not at a plateau, but I do lose when I do it! I have got to do something drastic to get me through the holidays. Too many goodies everywhere!

I'm fortunate to never have liked beer or champagne. I remember at my wedding reception pouring my dom into my hubby's glass because I couldn't stand the taste! I do, however, miss my diet pepsi! My daughter will drink one and I can smell it! I used to love a cold diet pepsi in the afternoon!

Thanks Mini! I feel I have reason to leave, however, I am 500 hours from vesture with this healthcare system! I've worked for them since 2002. Since it's an internal transfer, I run the risk of having to stay in this job for 6 months and then hope to find another within the system. The position was misrepresented to me from the start. They require 24-7 call, which was never conveyed to me. I would have never accepted a job that required being on call everyday for 24 hours! That's just a small part of it! I'm so angry at myself for leaving the NICU! Angry Angry Angry!!! BTW, I lost 4.4lbs. My ankles are still swollen, so I am thinking I lost more than that, but I'll take the 4.4lbs! Thanks for your support!

I look forward to meeting you too! About the weight loss challenge. For awhile, I think since the Reunion Picnic, we have challenged ourselves to lose a specific amount of weight for a specific amount of time. This challenge will end the last day of the year. We weigh every Thursday and report here if we lost, gained, or remained the same. It kind of gives us some motivation! I'm supposed to weigh today. I asked for special dispensation from Minidriver (she's the challenge's moderator) to be able to weigh on Sunday instead of Thursday due to my dependent edema issues! You're welcome to join us! I know how you're feeling about work! I started a new job 2 weeks ago, besides the fact that I absolutely hate my new job and that stresses me out, (it was totally mispresented to me in the interview), I also am working every day, which is new. I've not been working out, no time to swim my laps and I hate getting out of the habit! I am so angry at myself for accepting this stupid stupid job! And anger is one emotion which makes me want to eat! I don't do anger well! I was taught as a child that "nice girls don't get angry!"

Yeah! Fear is a great motivator! It always has been in my life! I'm still fearful of taking my meds in whole form.

I totally agree with you! AND I hate to admit it, but I do buy things I know I shouldn't, eat one bite and then throw the rest in the sink and drown it with water! I've done that with ice cream. All I wanted was a bite! And that bite was so good and went down so easily, that I knew I had to get rid of it fast! But I didn't miss it, that bite was just as satiating as the entire pint and I had no "eaters regret" later!

I hope no one thinks I am judging them for their choices. I am guilty of making my bad choices on a regular basis -- IF not, I'd be a lot closer to my goal than I am! I'm not perfect, I'm a recovering food addict. I'll always struggle with my food choices. That's just going to be my lot in life!

Yeah! I'm sure my daughter will be appreciative of my new "NO STRAW" road trips! edit: I meant DAUGHTER! My daughter has to ride in the car with "Miss Bloated" Mom!