whimsy

After over a year of trying for insurance approval, I finally have a surgery date of March 3rd. :regular_smile: I am both excited and nervous. I've wanted this for so long but now I find that I'm worrying about all the things that could go wrong. I'm working on snapping out of that frame of mind, of course. Anyone else scheduled for March 3rd? I'd love to have some surgery day or even surgery week buddies to keep me motivated. I have over 100 lbs to lose and I'm just SO ready to get this party started!

I thought it would be motivating to have a thread dedicated to each mini goal we accomplish. That way, we can share or our scale and non-scale victories as well as the means we rewarded ourselves for our dedication and effort. My first mini-goal is to weigh under 300 pounds. I have about 15 pounds to go in order to accomplish this. My husband says he will plan something special for this occasion, so I don't really have a reward in mind at the moment. Of course, something with diamonds would be great! What about you guys? What are your mini-goals and rewards?

That is so good to hear, Christine! You are on your way! Don't forget to lean on the Shamrockers when you need it. We're here for one another and we will see this through together. :tt1:

Ahha! I've been considering a tattoo as a reward as well. I've wanted to get a certain one for a long time - it would be on my upper arm and I just hate the fat, flabby arm so much that I wouldn't be able to show it off. :tt1: Such a great idea, you two. I think I may add this to my reward when I reach my goal weight. I'd like to get my name in Thai characters around my upper arm along with a tribal band. Something else to look forward to!

I really love these mini-goals that you all have chosen. I especially like the goal to walk every day. I think that's a great idea because activity is so very important for us. My weight loss seemed to have stalled for a bit. It's strange but it seems like there is a really fine line for my caloric intake between starvation and weight loss. If I go less than 1200 per day, I stall. If I go about 100 or 200 over that then I seem to lose. It's a learning process for sure. :cursing: So, right now, I'm still about 7 pounds until my first goal - which is to be under 300 pounds. And I do think the mini-goals help to motivate us! When you accomplish a goal, mini or not, it's such a great feeling of success that you want to keep going. :biggrin2:

Me too! I'm anxious to see 299 come up on my scale. :bolt:

It's a brand. :biggrin2:

My hunger is back and at times it just drives me nuts. However, I'm taking care to eat slowly and conciously and it really seems to work. I find that I am usually not full or even close to not hungry when I stop but after 15-30 minutes that goes away. I'm learning to listen to my body and I'm busting my ass to make sure I get all my fluids in. I'm measuring just about everything I eat and taking note of the nutrition values. I aim for about 1200 calories a day but there are times when I go over. I don't give myself a hard time - I simply resolve to do better the next day. I also stop to think why I required more calories that day and figure out what I could have done better or differently. The Daily Plate has really helped me with tracking my caloric intake and my physical activity. I look forward to my first fill on April 18th. I think it will help take the edge off my hunger during my meal. At least, that's my hope.

Woohoo! That's a whole lot of Marchies!

Is it ok? Well, I suppose it is ok to have your own set of standards. Is it hypocritical? Possibly.:crying: It's not necessarily a bad thing, you know? I've dated all sizes, shapes and races. Cute is cute, smart is smart and funny is funny, regardless of the size of the package. I'm generally attracted to intelligent men with a great sense of humor. That's not to say that I'm not attracted to men who are in shape (LL Cool J comes to mind. :tt1: ) However, I do find the lead singer of The Barenaked Ladies, Steven Page, incredibly sexy. I also find Kevin Smith incredibly sexy. Neither of them would be considered fit and trim. I still think they are both incredibly hot and I definitely wouldn't throw them out of bed unless they looked better on the floor. :huh2: Basically, I think to each his own. What is attractive to some is not always attractive to others. Of course, I'm also of the mind that you shouldn't expect more from your mate that you aren't willing to give yourself. Meaning, if you expect your significant other to be in shape, well groomed, etc - then you should be willing to give that to him or her as well. :tt1: And, if they are able to love and accept you as you are, completely and unconditionally, regardless of your appearance/weight, then you've hit the jackpot.:thumbup:

My friends and I joke about my obsession with Coca-Cola. I would rather have it than any dessert, pie, cake, ice cream, etc... A month prior to my surgery, I began to wean myself from Coke. I am now almost a month post-surgery and I don't miss it. I even had a cherry coke popcicle during my liquids phase and it tasted much too sweet to me. My suggestion is to find other things that you enjoy drinking and stock up! I'm a huge fan of decaf iced green tea with splenda - it truly is what helped me quit sodas for good. My husband makes sure to always have a batch brewed and refridgerated. I've also started drinking a lot of Crystal Light. I really like the raspberry lemonade. At first, I didn't think I could survive without my Coca-Cola but I swear to you, if I can break the habit, anyone can. Good luck to you on your journey, sweets!

Another March 3rd reporting in. I am doing well, I suppose. Life is slowly getting back to normal. I go for my first fill on April 18th. :crying:

Terri, I am all for a reunion or sharing photos online. Either way, we can celebrate how far we've come! Great idea! That's kinda one of the reasons I started that getting to know you thread for the March Bandsters. I love getting to know everyone as they are now so we can really see the difference a year or more from now. :wink:

That pretty much covers all the reasons why I prefer the daily plate, too! I like the nifty feature that helps me watch my Water intake for the day, too. :thumbup:

I thought it would be nice to share some photos of each other since we're all going through this lapband thing together. It would be great to put a face with the name. I know not everyone is comfortable with this kind of stuff, though, so don't feel like you are obligated! Since it was my idea, I'll go first. :cool2: My name is Andi and I live in a suburb of Dallas, Texas. I'm married to the most wonderful guy. We don't have children but we do have 7 pets: 2 chihuahuas named after X-Men, 3 cats named after Batman villains and 2 french bulldogs named after characters of the TV show, Friends. I do not work full-time but I do "work" by training my frenchies and taking them to photo shoots for print ads and commercials. :biggrin2: I'm a goofy girl who is easily amused. I love gaming (mostly online MMORPGs or D&D) and horror movies. Reality TV is a guilty pleasure that I indulge in regularly. My mother is from Thailand, so innately my favorite food is Thai cuisine. I'm thankful that most Thai food is healthy. I'll be having many Thai Soups during the five weeks of my full liquids phase. My weight issues are mainly due to PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). I am diabetic and take medications for hypertension and elevated cholesterol. I hope that was my weight improves, these problems will be but a memory for me. *grins* On to the pictures! The first picture is me and my husband, Jeremy. The second picture is with my oldest Frenchie, Joey. I look forwarding to getting to know all of you Marchies better!

I've been using the basic version of Fitday and The Daily Plate and I much prefer The Daily Plate. I like the layout and the ease of use. :wub:

I take it as a true blessing that this show is airing at the same time as my lapband journey begins. It's yet another wonderful resource and reminder. I've heard it mentioned several times at this board how his "rules" are just like the rules banders live by. It's exactly what I thought when I saw the show when it first aired. Anyway, Fenton, you learned something - maybe several somethings - from your little slip and that's what matters here. As long as we learn from these challenges and slips, we're still making progress.

Great to meet you Doreen! Congrats and good luck on your surgery! What a great present to give yourself! I love the picture, too! Thank you for sharing it with us!

Yes, it's the link I posted earlier... Calorie Counter, Diet Tracking, food Journal, Nutrition Facts at The Daily Plate

Welcome to the group, Lisa! So great to have you and congrats on your surgery date!

By the way! Some folks have asked about a daily food journal. I have a notebook I've been using to jot down my food intake but I recently signed up for an online food diary. It helps to calculate your calories and activity. They also have support groups there. I've seen a couple for those who are banded, too. :thumbdown: So, for anyone interested, the website is: Calorie Counter, Diet Tracking, Food Journal, Nutrition Facts at The Daily Plate I think it's going to be a very helpful tool. :biggrin2:

She is absolutely right! You are definitely not a pain! This is a learning process for all of us. I think by pooling our knowledge and asking others who have also walked this path, we are bettering ourselves. Don't ever be ashamed or afraid to ask a question, hon!

Great pics, Tracy! So glad to meet you! :thumbdown: Howdy and welcome to all you new Marchies! It is so great to meet you! Please keep us posted on your progress before and after your surgery date!

Just checking in with my fellow March bandster family. I've not been frequenting the board to the same problems other people have mentioned - very slow load times, etc. It sounds like everyone is doing well for the most part! I am so glad to be a part of such a positive and goal-oriented group! I've heard over and over that having a support group is vital to this process. Between the people I interact with here and those of you that I'm connected with at myspace, I'm starting to understand and believe in support groups more and more. I've bought some new clothes, mainly pants with drawstrings at the waist to be able to cinch as my weight continues to drop. I'm still on full liquids for two more weeks. Thankfully, my mother surprised me with some Tom Yum Goong (Thai Spicy & Sour broth with shrimp) today. Right when I think I'm going to eat one of my pets, my mother or husband find just the thing that takes the mind hunger away. My husband bought a stepper for me. I like it - but - not as much as I like our stationary exercise bike. I've vowed to get in at least 30 minutes of active per day, so I break up my bike time in 15 minute intervals as I watch whatever has been saved on my DVR. :biggrin2: The weather is getting better and better in Dallas, so walking twice a day will soon be added to this daily regimen. I plan on taking some martial arts and bellydance classes in the future. For now, I'll just be purchasing a beginner's bellydance DVD and also finally OPENING the Biggest Loser Workout DVD that I've owned for a year but never used. :thumbdown: I'd love to know what everyone is doing for exercise and activity. What and how often, etc.

Great thread! Here's my contribution: In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer. --Albert Camus Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up. --Chinese Proverb Listen to the MUSN'TS, child, Listen to the DON'TS Listen to the SHOULDN'TS The IMPOSSIBLES, the WON'TS Listen to the NEVER HAVES Then listen close to me – Anything can happen, child, ANYTHING can be. -- Shel Silverstein Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow." --Mary Anne Radmacher Hershley And my favorite piece to read when I need to be uplifted is Desiderata by Max Ehrmann. It's too long to paste here but I'll post a link to a site where it can be read: Desiderata