strikeuptheband

Cathy, Sorry to hear about your budget cut. Times are getting tough all over, it seems. I am required to bill for 30 hrs face to face time with clients every week. You would think that would be easy in a 40 hr week, but theres so many other things that get in the way. I have to work most of the day tomorrow to see more clients and get my hours in. That will make it about a 55 hr week for me this week. I think thats waaaay too much work for what they pay me! whine...whine.......... But hey, glad to hear you have another fill. I am scheduled for one next wednesday. Maybe that will jump start me again cuz its been stalled for quite a while. Doesn't help that we went out to eat tonite. We went to Ryans, which is a great buffet/steak house. I had a few bites of a baked chicken breast, a small piece of baked salmon, some mashed potatoes and I was about done! But I did find room for a tiny slice of chocolate cake and some ice cream. For the whole day, the calories added up to about 800 so I guess I didnt over indulge. Gee, there was soooo much to choose from. I am ready for more restriction or I am never gonna make it thru the christmas holidays. Hang in there Junies! We are awesome!

I remember your old pic, Cathy and I can really see the weight loss in your face! People see it in mine too although I think I still have some saggy jowls..eww. Gotta get a new pic taken and update mine. My last pic on my badge at work ... I looked like a chiipmunk! Glad you are recovering from your other surgery.

Sure, plain, Adjusted is your middle name! Did you know you could tell if a girl is a virgin or not by the way she handles cucumbers at the produce dept? I am sure you will now go and make your own independent observations on this. I look forward to hearing you validate this theory. And man, that clothes pin thing is kinky.:smile2:

Allie, Hobby Lobby is a huge craft store. Its got everything from sewing to any other craft you can imagine and a ton of home decor. I love that place. Today we have been unpacking all the Christmas boxes and putting up the tree. And watching the Kansas Missouri game..Mizzou just scored a TD so now finally we are ahead. Hope we win. Glad to see you back, Cathy. We sure have missed you. Hope you are recovering ok from your surgery. Was it as bad as banding (pain and recovering)? I think I made a mistake getting some plug in cinnamon scented room deodorizers. Thought it would be helping to get in the christmas mood but its making me sooooo hungry! I made a bunch of cookies for the girls and whats still left, I have been munching all afternoon! Anyone ever PB on a cookie??? I doubt thats possible, lol but I gotta stop that. Its really hard to stay on track during the holidays. Lets not beat ourselves up over it, all we can do is try for moderation. I feel like I have been cheating the last few days, and maybe I do need another fill, but I have not gained, just staying the same. I am gonna try not to stress over it till after christmas and if I am not losing by then, I will go get another fill. Hang in there ladies, we can do this! Gotta get back to the game, it sounds like a frenzy in there so I hope its good for my team!

Hi guys, I think I did ok with Thanksgiving dinner. Ate small portions and my girls were supportive...didn't think it was wierd that I was using a small plate. They haven't said it but I think they are proud of me. Today we went to Victoria's Secret and I learned my oldest who I think is skinny wears the same size undies as I do..large! lol My younger daughter is in medium and I indulged all of us by buying a bunch of cute new undies. I wanted to try on their new bio bra (not sure of the name but its new there) but there was lots of people in the store and no sales girl ready to get me the right size so I thought I would wait till I go back when they arent so busy (and maybe when I can get a smaller size...). We had lunch together (subway mini roast beef for me and I threw out half the bread and the tomatoes that were more pink than red, eww. Did more shopping and I think I got the girls all they are getting this year. It was a good day. Not gonna weigh now till monday. Tomorrow we go to the storage unit to pull out all the Christmas boxes and start decorating the house. I went to Hobby Lobby gawd I love that place! and got some xmas stockings for a few people and an ornament for each family member and some gift bags. Guess I am getting in the Christmas mood. Hope all is well with you all. I kinda like this Junies support group we have!

My little binge demon tells me "clean up your plate!" I have been banded almost 6 months and I still struggle with telling myself NO YOU DON'T need to clean up your plate. Now that I have good restriction, the pain stops me. Haven't had any PBs just pain in my chest if I overdo it. Or if the first 2 bites are too large or too fast, I might as well tell myself to give it up for a few hours cuz anymore and I will be hurting! Yes its a learning curve and looks like it will be for quite a while. Still love my band tho!

Welcome to the group Katies! Good for you and hubs to send that gal packin! Sounds like you have a good relationship and he is dedicated to you! Some wimmen, geez! We just have to remember we are good people, strong women and whether we are thick or thin, inside we are the same person. If others only look at the surface, they are the ones losing out cuz WE ARE AWESOME! Hope everyone has a great Thankgiving. I am thankful for my family, my guy that loves me, my health, my job, the roof over my head, and thankful for the almost 40 lbs I have lost! Remember to chew chew chew that turkey!:grouphug:

Allie, Congrats on the two lbs. Thats great! Its been slow going for me lately and I know I am slacking. I need a good kick to get back on track. If I don't gain over the holidays, I will consider that a success! I really feel it for you and Grey, I also had a 'best friend' that took over a guy I was dating. That happened twice as a matter of fact. When I moved to another town (for college) and left a good group of friends, the girls (2 different occasions) started dating the guy I was going with. One of them even married the guy. Looking back, I can see they probly deserved each other! But I understand about not trusting after a betrayal like that. Its sure made me cautious, even now and this happened about 15 years ago. Makes me not totally trust the guy I am with now even though he loves me dearly and would never give me cause to doubt him. Maybe us three can be our own support group!:grouphug: My girls will show up for turkey dinner tomorrow and Friday we are going to brave the crowds and hit the mall on Black Friday! My goal is to get to Victoria's Secret and buy some sexy undies and see if their bras will fit me now. I am gonna wear my sexy tight blue jeans tomorrow and hope the girls notice the almost 40 lbs I have lost. Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving and enjoy the little feast! Look at it this way....you will have leftovers for a loooonnnnnngggg time! LOL:lol:

Allieeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! I will yell at ya! I gain and lose the same pound over and over and eventually it stays off and then I battle the next one. It is coming into the cooking season now and I know for me its a temptation go go get a big turkey or ham and want to eat the whole thing. This year my 2 girls and granddaughter will be here for TG and we will have my guy's kids and new baby for Christmas for a week. I am thankful for the restriction I have that stops me from eataing too much but I still have to remind myself everyday to make good choices to eat the small amount that Ican. You can do it, Allie! I hope you get your mojo back soon. I will be after you to behave and will yell (nicely) at you if you want. Feel free to keep me accountable too!

Some have had surgery, some are still thinking about it or waiting for their surgery date. Just send off an email to Stacie Cloven (src3791@bjc.org) and ask her to put you on her mailing list and you can find out when the next meeting is. I think its Dec 11th. They meet from 6:30 - 8pm at the Broadway Medical Plaza #3 in Columbia. You can come earlier because they have the clothing exchange at 5:30. Stacie can answer any other questions you might have. They were talking about the Dec meeting being a potluck where we can all bring a small 'band friendly' dish and recipies to share. Sounds like fun so come and meet everyone!

Hey all, I am doing ok here. I have been on a plateau for a few weeks it seems, keep fighting off 1 pound that keeps coming back. At least I haven't gained any weight since surgery! Restriction is good, almost too good sometimes, but I am run ragged at work and come home and colapse. No energy to get on the eliptical but I think that might get me losing again. My two girls are coming for Thanksgiving (and grand daughter) so I am gearing up for the feast. Good thing for restriction or I would be pigging out on that meal. My son won't be here, he just left for Korea but as soon as I get a permanent address for him, I will be sending him a box of goodies. Hope all you junies are doing well and wish you all a great Thanksgiving!

Congrats on the 70 lbs! Thats awesome! Boone County Hosp has a weight loss support group, think its called Through Thick and Thin...we meet the 2nd thursday of each month. We have a clothing exchange also. Let me know if you are interested and I will give you details. I have met a few people there that also chat and post on here. Its great to put a name to a face and also meet people who are going through the same process. Lots of fun too!

I would love to come to a convention, but NY would be too costly at this time. If there is one somewhere in the midwest, I would really be interested. I live in Missouri, so Kansas City, Columbia, St Louis or even as far as Chicago might be doable for me.

Not sure of the cost, but my doc is Dr Pitt in Columbia, just a few hours away for you. Sorry it isn't working for you. I was really impressed with him and Boone County Hospital. The nurse coordinator's name is Sylvia. She could probably give you some information if you call her. See my sig below... and good luck.

I like to use the small containers because I take my lunch to work. If I put a tiny bit of food in a larger container, it looks so pitiful and I feel deprived and want more. Haven't used them to freeze things tho. Leftovers get eaten up pretty fast at our place.

Hi Junies, Hope all are doing well. Today I lost another pound and decided to measure everything. I have lost 14 inches overall since june! Just when I sort of give up on my plateau and pig out one day somehow I lose a pound the next day! I can't figure it out. Someone wrote in here somewhere that they stop losing if their calories drop below 1000, or 1500 or something. I have kept mine between 700 - 1000 and I am a slow loser. When I go over 1000, i am usually cheating. So tell me, what works for you guys? I hate to bring the calories up regularly because in my mind, that means I am eating too much and I will gain. Its frustrating trying to train your mind and your body! I dug out the elliptical from storage now that its colder and its dark when I get home. Going to add in exercise in the evening and see what that does. Come in and post, Junies. I miss y'all. How do you all like the new format? It took me a while to locate my subscrbed threads again but I did. If you haven't figured it out, its under links on the main page. Keep on losing!

I was able to drive myself home the next day. It was a 3 hr trip but it took me closer to 4 since I stopped 3 times to get out and walk. I was very sleepy. You only have a one hour drive so if you drive yourself home (I could not have done it the same day as surg), watch what pain meds you get upon checking out from the hospital and dont take anything that makes you sleepy till you get home. I just took it easy and got home without a problem. Also, went to work the next day (2 days after surg) for just a short meeting, went half a day the next day and then had a weekend to rest up. Try not to overdo things! Housecleaning and laundry can wait. Just get your rest and recouperate! If you want lapband enough, you will find a way. Good luck!

Welcome Anniegirl, I am also 56. Theres lots of fun folks here to talk to. Just jump into any conversation you find interesting. I think there is a thread for 50's here. Try looking on the home page, there should be a list of all threads and topics there. Good luck on your weight loss journey.

Chic, Hang in there. It took me 7 fills to get to proper restriction. I lost very little after surgery for the first 4 months. Now its starting to come off. It is frustrating but like others have said, you have to take smaller portions as often as you can and exercise daily. Most folks seem to get restriction faster than I did, so keep talking to your doc and get fills as often as they allow. Good luck!

Same here, Allie! I am one pound heavier than my guy and can't wait to weigh less than he does. He's so sweet, took me to the store to get a pair of blue jeans tonite since I don't have any 16's. I tried on several styles and settled for a petite 16 that I wont have to hem up. Then just for kicks, I grabbed a pair of the same kind in 14 and Holy Cow!!!! They fit very nicely, not tight enough to cut off circulation. a 14!!! I was stunned. I musta told him Honey, these are 14's about 6 times. He just said yep and grinned at me. I still cant believe it. I feel sexy!!! Well, until I see the belly I still got. But its going! Wow am I jazzed!!!:thumbup: Can't remember when I last wore 14's. Probably back in college. Lets lose that one more pound, it will be such a milestone! Let me know when you get there.:smile2:

Way to go ladies! We are such losers!!:cool2: I too just bought a pair of 16 pants! And I got them in Petite!!! (I am 5'3"). I just realized how much out of size 18s I am today since I grabbed a pair of blue jeans out of the closet and they have been falling off of me all day! Then I realized, hey I don't have any size 16 jeans and we get to wear jeans on fridays at work, so guess I will have to go buy a pair now! I tried also to get a top in the petite section but alas, its not happening yet. Still too much belly although its getting smaller. I found a nice top in large and got that too. I tried on the XL but it was hanging off my shoulders. Keep up the good work gang! We Rock!!:smile::thumbup::frown:

Keep the faith, Allie. Sorry to hear about your problems with the girls but its good to know there are preventative solutions. I had my girls reduced about 5 years ago. Seems after menopause they took on a life of their own! lol Got tired of trippin over them so I had reduction and that solved a whole lot of back problems. And you get new boobs out of this? Cool! Can you pick the designer boobs of your choice? I thought maybe Kim Baysinger but nah, I would probably give myself black eyes if I did any jogging! Hang in there and do what ya gotta do. We are here for you.

Congrats to all you losers! Do we Jazzy Junebugs rock or what!!! I have just had another small fill this week and I think I am finally there! Had a 3 lb loss from the last fill (2 weeks ago) and this morning was down another pound! So that means this morning I weigh either the same or less than BF! What a goal! (He didn't weigh in this morning so I am not sure where he is). My goal has always been to weigh less than he does. That way he can be my big strong guy and I can be his little damsel. Yea, I know. Gag me. lol I guess we were all told that this is a journey and it won't happen over night. We have been banded for about 4 months now and seems we are finally seeing some success. They also said the hair loss would start about now for some of us and it has. My hair is not thick but I haven't seen gobs of it falling out yet and hope it doesn't! Hang in there tho, they have also said it doesn't last and I haven't read of anyone going completely bald because of this!!

GB, Going to a support meeting is EXACTLY what you should do. They will have good suggestions and ideas that you can try. Weight is crazy that way, seems we lose for a while, then stop but eventually it starts going down again. Sounds like you are doing the right things, it just takes time and thats whats so frustrating! I want mine gone now!! lol I finally moved (for my job) so I am now living close enough to go to support meetings and I am also going to one tonite. Maybe we will get some good ideas to get jump started again. Hang in there!

Well gang, looks like I am again on a losing streak! I have been sitting the same for most of my post surgery time (almost 4 months) but finally the scale is starting to budge! I think the last fill finally did it, can't eat much without getting pain in my chest so I go slow and am learning that that feeling means "No, not just one more bite, silly!" I have also been 'working out' by cleaning the mobile home we just moved into (my own dirt is ok, but can't stand other people's dirt! lol) Between laying new flooring, unloading a truckload of furniture and boxes, cleaning and washing everything, including the walls that were filthy, plus a new project of cleaning up a very old antique kitchen hutch (oh the possibilities!), my arm is about to fall off. It isn't exactly lifting weights but its strenuous work and looks like its finally paying off. Seems like as soon as we fix one thing in the trailer, something else falls apart! But I am staying busy and happy now that I can see some results from all my hard work. Also, I just put my home computer in the shop Friday so I haven't been able to get in here for the last few days. (sneaking in at work right now). I might be able to pick it up tonite after work and get on line at home again. I am lost without my home computer!