pizzicato66

Ace, what an exciting opportunity! Good luck!

Thanks for all the great wishes, gang! I'll feel better once I have those flight plans in hand, and can start arranging hotel, car, etc. Fun! Ace, good luck on the job thing. It's hard to say what their response will be, but in any case, if they're the type to eliminate you based on your video and picture or on the fact that you've had surgery, do you really want to work for them? What line of work are you looking at that requires video and a picture? Good luck, in any case! Becky, you're doing great! What an inspiration! Frangi, I noticed on the other board that you haven't been feeling well. Rest and heal! Val, do you think you need a slight unfill if you're PB'ing, or do you think it's a behavioral adjustment? My 6-month postop is Monday (5 days before my actual 6 month mark). I would have liked to have been farther along, but I know it's my choices slowing me down since the holidays. I think I'm going to ask for a teensy bit more fill. I do have to slow down when eating more now, but I can still fit in a pretty hefty portion (well over a cup). It's far less than what I ate preop, but it's more about finding that sweet spot, right? Have a great weekend, everyone! Can't wait to hear how it goes for all of you.

Update - I'm going to CA the first week in March - yee-HA! Wish me luck!

Candle, I don't know about the whole gyno thing - I do know my time of the month is a big heavier but other than that, I've felt pretty good. I guess it makes sense, since having less fat in the way might leave room for things to move around a bit. Who knows though! Sorry to hear about the bruising thing. You've lost a LOT of weight in a very short period of time, so maybe it has something to do with that. Let us know how the blood work comes out. As for me, I'm FINALLY closer to getting that interview in LA!!! I spoke on the phone with the hiring manager about a few more questions she had and she wants me to come out. Not sure when yet (HR person suggested NEXT WEEK, hiring manager mentioned the first week in March). This is getting exciting! I'll probably squeeze in a few interviews and some apartment-hunting while I'm up there (and definitely a stroll on the beach). Cross your fingers! I find it amusing that I'll probably wind up moving just as Spring arrives in WI, but what can do you? At least the roads will be better for the drive out!

Hi All!! I wanted to wish everyone on my favorite message board a very happy Vday!!! What are you all doing for fun today? Since I'm single, I've been opting to keep it positive and not get all sad about not having a romantic someone in my life. Instead, I'm pampering myself and loving my family and friends. It's a great holiday to appreciate everyone in your life!! I started the week by helping my mom out when she got home from her knee surgery (she had her second total replacement done). I made a trip to Walgreens and got my parents an animated singing frog and candy, and picked up a few things to mail my niece at her dorm. Last night I went to the nail spa and got a pedicure, manicure and brow wax (ouch). I even got bright red polish with hearts painted on my toes. Then I picked up a nice steak and ate a reasonable portion (plenty saved for another meal - yum), and got myself a nice bouquet. I'll confess the sweets have gotten in a bit, but I'll let that go tomorrow. This morning, I found a little Godiva box on my desk (someone at the office leaves chocolate for all the women every Vday), so I shared it with a friend and just had ONE piece. .. and of course, I'm wearing red today. Anyway, hope you're all happy, healthy and loving yourself and the people in your life!! Thanks for giving me something to look forward to every morning! Donna (Pizzi)

Well, I'm all about excuses to be silly, so I dive in head first! Must be the former Kindergarten teacher in me. :-) Holy cow, Candle - you've almost lost NINETY pounds!!! Right on, woman!

Wow - you guys are really burning it up! I have a confession - I haven't been to the gym in a few weeks. I know, I know.... Been focusing on other stuff in life right now and the motivation for the gym is super-low. I also have this knack of getting away from something and not wanting to go back, even though I know I'll enjoy it when I do go. I've got a million excuses (want to get home and get the dog out, not wanting to leave if i go home first, knowing I'll cancel my membership if I get to move to CA, etc. etc.) On the other hand, it's getting dark later now, so I'll probably be back to daily walks at the dog park soon, which is good exercise too. By the way, Daddy, I was over in your area this weekend (in Wausau). It was D*MN cold!!!! It was in MN too, but sheesh - we need a break!

Karri, You look fantastic! What a change!!! I wouldn't think it was the same person. All that hard work is paying off, young lady!

Wow - I had a LOT of catching up to do in just a few days! It's great reading everyone's individual experiences. It really is different for everyone. Thing is, if you lose at ALL, you're still losing and that's the whole point, right? want2beme, you need to be easier on yourself. Think about this - your current weight is my GOAL weight (at least my initial one), and I've got just over 30 lbs to go before I get there, so you're already lighter than I am. Just be patient with yourself and keep doing the good work. You'll get there! I weighed in late this week (was out of town helping my mom out after knee replacement surgery), but I am down 2.5 lbs, so I'm half a lb from the 70 lb mark. Given how I ate just about everything I wanted to this weekend, I guess I did okay. It will be nice being back to the usual routine so I can focus on better choices for awhile. I do know that I'm still eating much more carefully than I did a year ago, though. THAT is a positive change! I don't think I'll quite make the 75 lb mark for my 6 month post-op on Monday, but a 70 lb loss is nothing to sneeze at! I should be able to make 75 by the end of the month though - that would be nice. At least I won't need a fill while I'm there. I'm not PB'ing but I'm getting mildly stuck if I'm not careful with bite sizes, so I don't think I want to mess with it. I think my honeymoon period is over and I'm having a much harder time making good choices than I did initially. I got the latest Obesity Help magazine and there's an article about getting out of the "honeymoon period" so I'm hoping it will help reinspire me when I read it. I have a question for you all. Now that we're 6 months out, do any of you feel like you're more challenged sticking to good food choices?

pigsrflying, your loss is probably slower because you have less to lose than some of us (you're about 20 lbs lighter than I am). That can make a BIG difference! You'll get there! By the way, do you have another nickname so we don't have to call you "pigs?" :-) I'm still battling a bit of snack mania (extra portions at night, etc). I think I need my head adjusted or something. Argh! I'm going to clear out anything I can play with and make into an inappropriate snack, so I can't sabotage myself. One advantage to living alone is that you can decide exactly what food gets into the house!

Shea, you're gorgeous! Congratulations, you! Karri, good call staying home from your workout yesterday. Sometimes your body needs to rest and recuperate! Oh, to be a size 12 - hopefully by summer! I'm an 18 on the bottom and 14 on top, so it shouldn't be too long.

ouch! you poor thing! I'm SO glad I haven't had that happen yet. I've gotten some moments of being good and stuck, but I sit back till it passes. So far, it's been just a matter of a minute or two, but it sucks! I did get some lovely liquid burps the other night so I suppose those would count, but it was my own fault for having tea after eating. Glad to hear you survived it!

Yay you!!!!! I dream of being overweight someday! You got me thinking so I checked the chart myself just now, and I have JUST moved into "obese" - not morbidly obese (where I started), not severely obese (where I was till this week), but just, plain, vanilla obese! It will be a few months till I get to overweight, but it sounds like a nice interim goal :-) Congratulations Karri!!

Good post, Karri! I hear you completely. I was noticing last night how my entire perspective has shifted since surgery. My friend and I went to a casino buffet last night (totally sinful night of money burning and eating), and I ate a LOT less than I would have before. I still pushed the envelope (and had a few PB's to pay for it), but I would come back to the table with HUGE parts of those giant plates sitting empty, and I'd take a bite then leave the rest on the plate after realizing it just wouldn't go down well because it was dry or stringy, or because it just didn't taste good enough to finish. Before surgery, I would have loaded those giant 14" diameter plates with food, ate every bite, adn gone back several times! Now, I did have a couple different desserts, so I was far from on-track, but what an improvement over my pre-op behavior! I was also a major grazer. There was always something to nibble on all day at work, in front of the tv or in the car. If I had a bag of chips around, I'd often eat most if not all of the bag! I also never had just one cookie or dessert - usually wound up being multiple servings. Meals were too big too - I'd fill a dinner plate and go back for seconds. Now, I eat off small plates and rarely fill them, or use small bowls. I figured out that I still want to graze, so I try to keep those trigger foods out of the house entirely. Thing is, those old habits are sneaking back in, and I'm pretty sure that's why my weight loss has slowed down a lot since the holidays. I'm also finding the head hunger kicking in again and I'm having a harder time differentiating between head hunger and true hunger. I guess the honeymoon period is over, eh? Now the real work begins! I need to keep the cheezits and sunflower seeds out of the house, and stay away from the work treats. I need to keep the potatoes, bread and other refined carbs entirely out of my diet, and it has to start now! Anyone else see the old habits sneaking back in? What are you doing to get reinspired?

Wow - great reports everyone! Karri/Salsa - size 10's???? I"m in awe!!!! Glad to hear your band is behaving better now too. Real food is a definite improvement over shakes! Frangi - glad to hear things are going down for you again! Val - good for you for getting the food logging on track. I need to do the same! Becky, you're a wise woman, and your tracker shows it! Keep up the great work! I can't say that my eating was all that under control this weekend, but I can say the portions are much smaller than they would have been before surgery. I did have a few NSV's this week: - A friend stopped by with 2 bags of clothes as hand-me-downs. It felt really good knowing that I'm in the same size range as her, even if the items don't fit just right (too big in the waist, too tight in the legs/butt - she likes the "slimfit" stuff, which I wouldn't necessarily choose as a flattering option). This is going to sound a little immature, but it felt good to know I've caught up with her and will be passing her up in a bit - she's the one that's always drawn the looks and it would be fun to actually be the smaller one for the first time. Then again, I see myself naked every day. Nothing like a reality check to keep things on track. Ha!

Karri, sounds like good common sense to me. Your stall WILL pass - hang in there! Are you due for another adjustment, or is it a plain old stall? You might be putting on muscle too with all the workouts. Back to the other topic of the day. I tried really hard to step back from my opinions on this topic, but heck, that's not me, so here goes.. I just caught the discussion on colonics - I've heard mixed things on it and what I've gotten out of reading around is that it's just a way of clearing things out faster that will come out when it's ready anyhow. Think about when you were on your preop fast and just after surgery - eventually you just run out of things to "produce" - there's nothing sticking around for years in there that has to be "washed out" that your own body won't clear on its' own. From a quick google... the truth behind colonics | PoopReport.com yep - that site is called the "poop report" - how cute.. Confessions of a Quackbuster: Colonic Irrigation colon cleansing and colonic irrigation scam oh, and if you're considering the Master Cleanse (aka lemonade fast), this is worth a read (written by a physician). The Master Cleanse Detox Diet is a Master Scam. Detoxification with the Master Cleanse Program is a Myth. - Dr. Z's Medical Report - HealthTalk

Hey all, I can't say that I'd ever go for the whole fasting thing. Frankly, I don't think it's healthy, and I'm trying to use the band and eating plan since that comes from the clinic. I figure they know from experience! Have you asked your doc or nutritionist about it? But, you need to do what works for you. I wish you luck no matter what! As for me, I'm finally off my plateau! Even thoguh it's not my official weigh-in day, I did get on the scale, and lo and behold, I was down another 2 lbs, so I'm FINALLY under 220, in jeans, no less!!! Lord, what a relief! I didn't think I'd ever get into the "two-teens" - I guess we'll see what happens over the weekend. If I behave, I'll have that much off and hopefully a couple more lbs. PHEW!

Rant and soul-searching post... I've been learning something about myself the past few weeks. I'm too easily influenced and led off the good path! Here's the kicker - it's from other bandsters! I KNOW what works and what I should be eating. My clinic and dietician do a great job teaching and reinforcing. But between some of the posts on other boards (delightfully absent from our board here), and from chatting with people in the local support group, I get suggestions that I know darned well aren't what works for me. - The dietician says to stay away from liquid calories (including Protein drinks) unless I'm on liquids post-fill. Someone suggests a shake etc. so I go for it. - Someone suggests a recipe or prepared food item that really isn't the best choice, but they insist it's a great protein source or whatever, so I try it. - I think the support group I've been attending puts too much emphasis on food ideas. It's interesting to hear how to vary your diet, but I'm finding it just puts more attention to eating, which is the last obsession I want to reinforce! Lo and behold - other foods sneak in, I start grazing again, and my loss slows down. Imagine that?! So, contrary to what people suggest, I'm taking a break from the support group for awhile, and being more judicious about which threads I read on the message boards. I'm thinking it's the only way to regain my focus and better eating habits. I can spend that support group time at the gym or walking my dog, and I'll have a lot more time at work if I'm not out reading the repetitive and unhealthy posts on some of the boards. I'll still be here to talk to all of you though, since this bunch has it down!!

Good luck Crystal! Let us know how it goes. How is the preop fast going for you?

Jaqui, you're an inspiration! I love your attitude too! I've been worried all day that I may have offended someone here with my post today, and I hope that's not the case. It really was a self-observation and self-criticism than anything. So, for the record, if I've inadvertantly offended anyone here, you have my deepest apologies! I hope I haven't, because I see this as one of the saner, common-sense boards!

Salsa, you're kicking butt!!! I'm so impressed that you're running!!! Maybe I'll be up to that when I get down in Onederland myself (if my feet get happier). I had a great bellydance class last night. I've managed to finally master a step that I've struggled with for over a year, so the teacher is pushing us all by practicing that step for LONG periods of time. My hips and thighs were really feeling it when I got home, so I know I got some serious toning done. What I'm noticing is how much easier things are for me, and I actually can do some of the moves on my toes without my feet screaming in pain. That's HUGE! What really got me giggling last week is that I did a "vibration" naked last week (was goofing around while getting dressed). I know I've got the move down, but it's bizarre seeing it without the clothes to cover things. I literally had "waves" of vibration traveling everywhere - what a hoot! I know, probably mega-TMI but it did amuse me quite a bit. I'll probably have to relearn moves as I get smaller because I won't be able to rely on my jiggly bits making the appearance of the move and will have to use the muscles more. Anyway, good work everyone! Keep that motivation rolling!

Rock on, Val! I'm in awe of your early-morning workout routine!

Good job, Val! And 5 lbs, no less. What a relief, huh? Princess, you're kicking butt!! How are you feeling with that rapid a loss? Was some of that preop or all since you got your band? Dang!!

Congratulations Ceredad!! Keep up the good work!

Val, good for you on the new gym commitment and on the measurement changes. That shows you're definitely doing yourself a lot of good! Remember, you're probably gaining muscle and burning fat, so the scale isn't changing but your lean body mass is! I'm happy to say I did finally lose this week, although it was just 2 lbs (was hoping for 3 or 4). I know, I know - that's the "healthy" loss rate, but I just had a fill and I'm definitely feeling the restriction, so it was a tad disappointing. But, if I'm really honest, I know I had more fat and carbs than I should, so 2 lbs is a good thing. I need to stop the grazing too, so I have nobody to blame but myself right now! As for the job front, the San Francisco group wanted me to come out this week, but I started thinking about it, and I really can't make the move without some kind of relocation assistance, so I'm going to let this one go, especially since there's one cooking in LA that attracts me more and is willing to help with relocation costs. I'm in no rush, after all! Besides, doesn't southern CA sound more fun? It does to me, at least. Hopefully I'll get that next interview soon! How's everyone else doing this lovely morning? We're all geeked out here in MN because it's in the 40's (yep, the 40's sounds good here). Tomorrow's a rude awakening though - they're predicting freezing rain, snow and then a few more days of below zero temps again. Blecch!