ReneBean

I have decided that more journalling might help me keep my butt on track. I get gold stars for going to the gym again, last night. DH is still not coming with - but he has promised to make an attempt this weekend. Seeing me go without him is guilting him out a bit. This weekend promises to be a busy one. Scarborough Faire starts on Saturday and I am all excited about it. It would be nicer if the weather was a tad warmer - but hey - it will still be fun. NSV - I now fit into the bodices that they sell at Scarborough Faire... and I plan to buy one! While I made a chemise and skirt for Halloween, (Gypsy costume) I never have gotten around to making myself the bodice I need for the faire, so I think I may just buy the first one and maybe use it as a model for any future attempts. DH's costume is still just a spark in my sewing machine. We have had other things to do... So, for this first trip out, we are going in street clothes. Maybe I will find a shirt for him when we go. Heck - maybe I will visit the Queen's Corsetier this year, too. They have big-girl sizes... and I am so happy to be getting back to the point where at least I can shop at more than one store! :biggrin1: This weekend, we also need to get a freezer so we can empty the one in the fridge without destroying all our food. Although, it is good that we have been digging around in there - cause we had some great stuff buried! Having an extra freezer will be great. We also have to do a bunch of shopping for basic staples. We are out of flavored water and other stuff - so a trip to Sam's is in order. I am thinking we will have to shop on Saturday and Scarborough on Sunday. Since Sunday is Easter, most stores will actually be closed, I think. Plus, the sky is supposed to open up tomorrow - and DH really doesn't need to be hanging out in the rain after his recent illness. Well, let's see. I need to give myself a pep talk for the weekend. 1) exercise - see yesterday's journal entry. You LIKE this stuff. Go to the gym. 2) food - no pouch packing! You have formal permission to eat one good thing each day - but NO pouch packing, no matter how great it is. If nothing else, I will get some exercise walking at the stores. Yeah! So, I am off! My office has *cough* generously allowed us to take a half day off - if we use vacation time. I guess I can't complain. They are paying me to surf LBT these days.... TGIF

Hi Crafty! I love LBT - it has really helped to know that there is a whole world of experienced bandsters at my beck & call 24/7. The folks here are wonderful! Great Job on the 47 pounds!! You Rock~! :]

Hi Twhite! Yep, the food forum is full of good stuff. Great work on the 42 pounds!! Can't wait to see you in the Before & After pics thread! Hugs!

Hi Kkitchens! Congrats on getting your surgery date! It will be here before you know it and you will be on your way to join your sister. Hugs!

Happy Good Friday For me, EVERY Friday is a good one... :] Just call me a heathen. That's right... two Pats. How about Mr. Pat and Nana Pat? Darcy - I am actually going to take a couple of continuing ed classes at the local community college starting next month. I figure if I am in a structured environment, I will be a little more motivated than I have been, here. As much as I would like to say that I have been disciplined and working diligently every day... it would be a lie. *sigh* I have spent more time on LBT than on studying! Eileenie - Yes - I am working today, as much as we work around here these days. I have the radio blaring for the whole office to hear and I am surfing LBT and looking at the Continuing Ed course schedule at Collin County CC. :] Hugs for the Divine Miss G. Hope she feels up to par for Sunday. Whatever was it that Boss Man said the other day? I need to know if I should get on a plane to come up and kick his @$$. xo Deb - there is nothing better than when the sickness goes away... Thank goodness your baby is better. Mine Big Baby is better, too. :] Protein powders are tricky. If you can get a sample pack, that is best. That way you can try them and if you don't like them, it's no big deal. I like Carb Solutions powder and Six Star Protein Powder (Walmart). Hope you find something great! Well, I actually get to leave early today - I have to use vacation time - but they are letting us leave. Wheeeeeeeee! Happy Easter! Happy Passover! Happy Friday! Love and Hugs to All!

I have heard that working any particular part of the body does nothing to make you lose weight in that particular area... BUT - toning the muscles where you want shape can't hurt... Twisting motion is good to form a waist... and knee lifts are a good alternative to crunches if you hate them (and who doesn't?) Sadly, the only way to lose the belly - is to lose the fat... I was SHOCKED fairly recently. In the past, when I dieted, I always lost from the top down - face/neck first, then chest/arms - THEN belly/legs. This time, it is happening all wierd. I am actually losing belly fat in greater proportion to the rest of my body. I LOVE MY BAND! This is weird I can live with! Good Luck!

Hi Areellady! Love your screen name! Congrats on getting your surgery date. You are on your way!!! Stay tough on the pre-op diet - and let us know how you are doing. :]

Hi Sandi! Welcome to LBT! I hope your insurance company is one of the good ones... I am thinking good thoughts for approval. Hope to see less of you, soon! :]

It depends on who is asking... and why. The ones who genuinely want to know because they want to try your method to lose weight - I tell them the truth and give them this website address to start researching. The ones who are just asking to be polite or to be impolite, I tell them it's the countless hours on the elliptical machine. Everybody here at work has seen me eating raw veggies and lean meats - so most of them don't ask. Lots of them already know, anyway. Honestly, I just don't get that many questions - cause the loss has been so gradual that only people who DON'T see me every day really notice - until they think about it a little. Good Luck. If you don't make a big deal out of the surgery, most others will respond in kind. Hugs!

I think any shake with Protein would be ok - so long as they aren't high in sugar and carbohydrates... Most docs want us on a lower carb, south beach or atkins thing. Now some of them are just trying to push their own product - but if your doc is NOT trying to get you to buy his particular brand, ask him. If he IS trying to sell a particular brand - ask him WHY. What makes the ___ product better than anything else. If he gives you valid answers (low carb/high vitamins/whatever) then you can pick an alternate product that has similar benefits. Good Luck!

Chickie - You have the body I want to have when I grow up! Great Job! I hope you are enjoying every ounce of your tiny new body! Hugs!

I was binding my legs to help control the swelling from my Venous Stasis one morning... it was a pain in the butt - not to mention the pain in my legs - and it ocurred to me that I was going to have to do that every day for the rest of my life... and I was only 40. If I felt like SOS at 40 - what the hell was I going to feel like at 50? 60? The fear of DEATH was not what made me want bariatric surgery. It was the fear of LIFE IN PAIN. When you feel it would be preferable to just die at the age of 40, you are pretty messed up. So, I decided to take the drastic step of getting a gastric bypass. I felt that it was worth any risk to lose weight and have a healthier life. When I googled Weightloss Surgery, I saw all these entries for Gastric Banding. Since I had never heard of it, I checked it out. Lower risks, both at surgery and after, sold me on the program - PLUS the added benefit of keeping the band and it being adjustable to help with maintanence made it my dream surgery. I, also, had lost weight several times... only to puff back up with interest. The Band seemed - and still seems - to offer a stop to that problem. That's why I chose the band over by-pass. I have never regretted that decision. Good Luck!

Oh Honey... it has to be somewhat scary for you.... And I know that for me - I feel SOOOOO much better that it is easier to be lazy and eat whatever I want. I end up just eating too much - not enough to gain or anything - but more than I should. Just keep telling yourself that it is OK to be thinner. You don't need your body armor anymore. You are Woman! And, if it helps - here is a big ol' size nine up your backside. Step away from the Peanut Butter cups.... Hugs!

I understand the safety issue - a woman in a parking lot really CAN present a danger to the church - if you let her in and she unlocks a door, or pulls a gun, or whatever - BUT - offering to call a tow truck or the police or the home for you would have been the proper response. A simple explanation that he could not let you into the church - but he would be happy to make a call for you would have made you feel better - and safer.

Eat low carb with lots of raw veggies for bulk. I had the same problem, only worse... I had my "last supper syndrome" AFTER the surgery. (Count of me to do everything back@$$wards) I was so worried that I would "Never be able to eat ___ again" that I went a little nuts eating all my favorite foods. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid. First - I did in fact weigh a half pound higher at my first fill than I did at surgery. Doh! Second - TO THIS DAY there is still nothing that I cannot eat. Bread - no problem. Pasta? Uh huh. pizza? Yeppers - I can eat it all in small quanities. So I was TWICE the idiot - cause I didn't need to roll around in my food at all. Don't make my mistake. Exercise. Stay on Plan. Drink lots of Water. Even if all you do is maintain what you have already lost - you will be pounds ahead of me... Good Luck!!!

Hi Linda! Imagine being 10 pounds less than you weigh - and SIX inches shorter... *sigh* That was me at my lifetime high. When I took my pre-band measurments - I was literally bigger around than I was tall. Talk about mortifying! Good Luck! We will be here when you need us... and you prolly will. :]

Hey Amwlady Hopefully, you will start feeling more human in the next few days. I took a week off - and that was just about right. We are all thinking good thoughts for speedy healing! Hugs!

Hi Cindy! Welcome to LBT! We LOVE to hear about success stories and bandsters who have had their bands for several years. Maybe you can share some pictures on the Before & After thread - if you haven't already. :]

Hi Pat! Glad to hear the surgery went well. The port actually stays sore for several weeks - way longer than any other incision - but it gets less and less severe. Those muscles they stitch the port to don't seem to appreciate it, much... and they remind you every time you move. The worst of the pain FOR ME was the gas. Walking combined with Gas X is pretty much all you can do... Did you doc give you any pain meds? Mine gave me liquid codeine... Wheeeeeeeee! What great stuff that is - but it just knocked me out every time. Not beneficial to the whole walking effort - but I didn't care - cause I was sleeping! Stop in anytime and chat with us. We will be happy to answer any questions that we can. Don't forget to drink your Water. Right now, liquids are more important than food. Hope you feel better soon!

Thanks, Faith! I get mine at Sams - by the flat it comes out to even less than that, I think. :] The ones with calcium come in different flavors - berry, orange and tropical? I can't remember the third flavor - but it is good. :]

Go Tracy! Breaking 300 is GREAT. You started at .5 pounds higher than me. I was 331 even at surgery - and it took me stinking FOREVER to break the 300 pound barrier. I am cheering you on to pass me on the way down. GO GO GO!

Ok. I say this every time I fall off the exercise wagon - but seriously - why do I fight it? After arguing with myself and spending all of March in a couch-potato stupor, I finally dragged my butt to the gym last night. Aside from a few minutes of lung burn - to be expected after well over 30 days with no body movement - I was just fine. By the time I was done with 20 minutes on the elliptical and 15 minutes on the bike, I had a great sense of accomplishment and I felt physically good, too. To top it off, I get to watch TV that I secretly enjoy - like American Idol or Are You As Smart as a Fifth Grader... Stuff I never watch at home. So, why the heck to I fight going? It seems like I have to force myself. I only succeeded in getting myself to go last night because I did yard work on Sunday - and my thighs were STILL SORE from bending over on Wednesday. That's just sad.... so I figured I would try to offset the back-of-thigh sore/tightness with top-of-thigh work. I ran that bike at level 10... until my knee started screaming and then I backed down to level 7. The point is, that 1) I don't mind doing the exercise while I am doing it. 2) I get a great feeling of having done a good thing for myself and my health. 3) I don't feel badly after am done... So WHY, by all that is holy, do I resist this wonderful miraculous activity from which so many good things come? This is a mystery that I am going to have to continue to ponder. Maybe while I am on the elliptical machine tonight... :clap2: I mean, the scale is still creeping downward. Today, my scale said 282 - if you add the 4 pounds to adjust to an approximation of my doc's scale - that puts me at 286. Eating less is wonderful - but exercise makes all the difference. I really want to WOW my doc when I see him again at the beginning of May...Plus, every pound I lose is pretty much a pound gone forever. So every pound I lose is one less I have to lose tomorrow.... May as well get as many of them out of the way as quickly as possible. Exercise is the way. On other life fronts - Sick DH is fully recovered and fully functioning again. He was even planning to foray out of the house to get groceries. Thank goodness! I was getting pretty tired of having to do all the home stuff in addition to working. The fridge parts have arrived and we have scheduled the visit for the repairman to put them in. Now all we have to do is empty & defrost the freezer - or go buy a back-up freezer. We have been talking about that for a while, anyway. I took a dry-run at the skills test for teachers. Reading - 90%. Writing - 95%. Math..... 64.5% *BUZZZZZZZ* Guess it's back to the Algebra books... I guess you just forget some stuff in 22 yrs. NSV de jour: I wore a shirt that my sister gave me yesterday. It was a 4x with no stretch, no a-line, no nothing. Now - size 4x doesn't sound like much of an NSV - but when you consider the size variations and the fact that prior to banding I was wearing the largest possible 5x made with stretchy knit - and they were getting a little clingy... a small 4x made of cotton - that is an accomplishment. I think I am going to have to go home and take my measurements....

Ok. I say this every time I fall off the exercise wagon - but seriously - why do I fight it? After arguing with myself and spending all of March in a couch-potato stupor, I finally dragged my butt to the gym last night. Aside from a few minutes of lung burn - to be expected after well over 30 days with no body movement - I was just fine. By the time I was done with 20 minutes on the elliptical and 15 minutes on the bike, I had a great sense of accomplishment and I felt physically good, too. To top it off, I get to watch TV that I secretly enjoy - like American Idol or Are You As Smart as a Fifth Grader... Stuff I never watch at home. So, why the heck to I fight going? It seems like I have to force myself. I only succeeded in getting myself to go last night because I did yard work on Sunday - and my thighs were STILL SORE from bending over on Wednesday. That's just sad.... so I figured I would try to offset the back-of-thigh sore/tightness with top-of-thigh work. I ran that bike at level 10... until my knee started screaming and then I backed down to level 7. The point is, that 1) I don't mind doing the exercise while I am doing it. 2) I get a great feeling of having done a good thing for myself and my health. 3) I don't feel badly after am done... So WHY, by all that is holy, do I resist this wonderful miraculous activity from which so many good things come? This is a mystery that I am going to have to continue to ponder. Maybe while I am on the elliptical machine tonight... :clap2: I mean, the scale is still creeping downward. Today, my scale said 282 - if you add the 4 pounds to adjust to an approximation of my doc's scale - that puts me at 286. Eating less is wonderful - but exercise makes all the difference. I really want to WOW my doc when I see him again at the beginning of May...Plus, every pound I lose is pretty much a pound gone forever. So every pound I lose is one less I have to lose tomorrow.... May as well get as many of them out of the way as quickly as possible. Exercise is the way. On other life fronts - Sick DH is fully recovered and fully functioning again. He was even planning to foray out of the house to get groceries. Thank goodness! I was getting pretty tired of having to do all the home stuff in addition to working. The fridge parts have arrived and we have scheduled the visit for the repairman to put them in. Now all we have to do is empty & defrost the freezer - or go buy a back-up freezer. We have been talking about that for a while, anyway. I took a dry-run at the skills test for teachers. Reading - 90%. Writing - 95%. Math..... 64.5% *BUZZZZZZZ* Guess it's back to the Algebra books... I guess you just forget some stuff in 22 yrs. NSV de jour: I wore a shirt that my sister gave me yesterday. It was a 4x with no stretch, no a-line, no nothing. Now - size 4x doesn't sound like much of an NSV - but when you consider the size variations and the fact that prior to banding I was wearing the largest possible 5x made with stretchy knit - and they were getting a little clingy... a small 4x made of cotton - that is an accomplishment. I think I am going to have to go home and take my measurements....

OK - Y'all are going to think I own stock or something - but I love my homemade protein Water - and I make it with those little liquid Protein shots. 1 tube "New Whey 42 gram" by IDS - Orange flavor 1 bottle Propel w/calcium Mix in 1 liter bottle. Add filtered tap water to fill bottle. shake. I drink this stuff every day while I am at work. you can get the New Whey at http://www.dpsnutrition.net/get_by_79.htm I really DON'T own stock or have any connection to either IDS or DPS nutrition... I just think that the 42 gram protein shots are the coolest thing since sliced bread. :]

Hi Joe! Congrats on getting your band! you ask us questions - and we will answer. Probably give you way more info than you ever wanted, too. Good Luck with the whole process!