Bea1128

Hey guys! I've been so busy the last few days I haven't been able to check in. I'll need to go back to see what all I missed. I had midterms and lots of committee meetings. I'm running tonight, I don't care what happens!! Mom- I'm so sorry you are having such a hard time! If anyone understands, it's us. You can always vent and/or whine here. I've been doing a lot of whinning myself about my issues. Sometimes it just feels good to get it out. Hang in there, Thursday will be here soon! It's strange isn't it? I can't even imagine being unfilled or unbanded now. It's such a great tool that I don't want to ever live without it again. {{((HUGS))}} Mari - Wow!!! You are doing so great. I have been hovering around Onderland for weeks and weeks! Can't seem to break the 200's! It's driving me crazy. Keep up the great work! The Texas state fair is going on right now in Dallas. I wanted to go this year, but guess not. I sure would like to eat a corny dog! YUM! Hope you all have a great day!!

Date: Sunday10/5/08 What Did You Eat Today?: Lots of coffee; 1/4 c chicken salad (maybe), 1/2 slice bread, 2 slices tomato, bite of lettuce, 2 oatmeal cream cakes (little Debbie); 1 c hamburger helper, 1/2 c green Beans, 1-2 c salad w/ lite dressing Protein: ???? Water Intake: almost none Exercise: zip Anything to add: I had church (all day it seems) and committee meetings plus had to go to Sam's to shop for my Senior Adult Ministry event today. I left the house at 8:30 a.m. and didn't get home until after 5 p.m. I was having a tight day and I couldn't really get the chicken salad down. I was in a meeting so I was afraid to try too hard for fear I'd erp in front of everyone! Because I was unkind to my body, no food really or water, I had the worst headache when I got home, the shakes, and vision issues. I know my blood sugar was in the pooper. Then I was so hungry I ate too fast and too much. Not enough to make me PB, but I was so miserable for the rest of the night. All and all not a very good day! Date: October 6th What Did You Eat Today?: 3 cups coffee; 1/2 c lentil Soup, small piece of quiche, spinach salad w/ light dressing, small slice pumpkin pie; 1 c lentil soup, 1/2 Protein bar. Protein: 34g / 926 cal. Water Intake: 4 c Exercise: none right now, but I'm running later will edit Anything to add: I organize the senior adults at my church for outings, etc. Today it was BINGO and lunch. I cooked all the food for them. It's so much fun, but a lot of work and I didn't have time (AGAIN!!) to do what I needed to. I'm getting back on track as we speak!

NOTE: I never follow a recipe exactly as written. I've added the changes I made in purple. Serves 4 2 T butter or margarine (I used a little olive oil instead) 1 boneless pork shoulder blade roast 2 lb (I used pork loin and trimmed away all visible fat and cut into chunks) 1 jar (10 oz) sweet and sour sauce 1/4 c chicken broth 1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks in juice, drained 1/4 c cold Water 1 T cornstarch Melt butter or oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add pork; cook 3-4 minutes on each side or until browned. (At this point I added some chopped onion, fresh grated ginger, minced garlic, and soy sauce until onion was soft. I then added the sauce to the pan to help coat the pork.) Pour pork, sauce, broth, and pineapple to a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours. About an hour before serving, I added some thinly sliced carrots and bell peppers. About 15 minutes before serving, in a small bowl mix cornstarch and water. Remove pork from the slow cooker, stir in cornstarch mixture into sauce in slow cooker. Return pork and pineapple, turn up to high and cook about 10 minutes or until thickened. I served the pork and sauce over Jasmine rice. I added sliced scallions and toasted slivered almonds to individual servings. YUMMY!!!! Enjoy!!! Nutritional Analysis (as written): 660 cal; 35g fat; 160mg cholesterol; 440mg sodium; 38g total carbs; 49g Protein I think by using pork loin, it would reduce the calories and fat somewhat. I just didn't feel like figuring it out. I also use low sodium soy sauce. P.S. My kids and hubby really liked this one

My day was busy and weird, so my meals sort of all ran together. Didn't take the time to drink Water, exercise, or eat right. Shame, shame everyone knows my name!!! No judgement today please! Date: Oct 3 What Did You Eat Today?: coffee w/ half and half, another cup of coffee w/ f/f creamer, another cup of coffee w/ sugar free hot chocolate, another cup of coffee w/ both f/f creamer and sugar free hot chocolate, 1 c chicken noodle Soup, 1 c grapes, 1 c jasmine rice, 1 c crockpot sweet and sour pork, 1 glass of wine (so far). Protein: 60g (1164 calories) Water Intake: very little Exercise: Zip Anything to add: I made the sweet and sour pork with pork loin instead of pork shoulder, so I think the calories and fat for that dish would be less. It was delicious though. If anyone's interested I'd be happy to share.

I was told 3 meals a day only as well; however, I do so much exercise now that if I don't eat a little more during the day I can't function. I eat stuff like applesauce or yogurt so it pretty much goes right through. I get in all of my Protein and my Water (I have a kidney disorder so I am under doctor's orders to get in at least 3 Liters per day), so I don't worry about the extra snacking. I also don't eat junk food for those Snacks. I don't think I've ever heard a warning of lying down too soon after a meal because of your band; however, it's probably not a good idea to lay down immediately after a meal anyway as you need time to digest. It could technically cause you to have reflux. I know that sometimes if I bend over immediately even after drinking water it sometimes comes flying back out. Ask your doc if you are concerned about it.

Congrats on your weight loss! That is awesome! I was banded in April and almost everyone I know who was banded around that time and lost 40-50 so far has hit a plateau, me included. Usually that means that your body has gotten used to what you have been doing all this time. Our bodies are incredibly efficient so you need to shake things up a little. Add a different exercise, eat different types of food or even at different times can help. Above all else, keep plugging along. It'll start coming off again and sometimes we just have to work through it. However, please don't hurt yourself with exercise. It doesn't have to hurt to work. Small changes in activity can lead to big changes down the line. I think you asked about yoga. I love yoga!! I usually go on Fridays and it's the perfect thing to get me over a chaotic week and a nice start to the weekend. Yoga is perfect because you work at your own level and pace. It can be everything from light to moderate stretching to a full out heart pounding workout. It's up to you. There are many modifications you can do to make it work for you. In the beginning, there were many things I couldn't really do well and some not at all. Now after a very short time, my flexibility is better and my muscle tone is getting really nice. I still can't do all the poses perfectly like the instructor, but I can do it a lot better than just a few months ago. I really do feel better after doing yoga. It's the perfect accompaniment to the other exercise I do throughout the week. Keep up the great work! This is a long journey and we will have lots of twists, turns, and bumps but in the end it will so be worth it! I'm glad I found your post because I've been very hard on myself today about my plateau, actually I gained 1.5 this week for no apparent reason. It would do me good to take my own advice! Good luck and keep in touch!!!

Thanks you guys! I know everything you said is true, it's just irritating when I'm literally working my arse off in the gym!! And thank you all for not giving me the old "muscle weighs more than fat" routine. My hubby said that to me this morning when I was cussing out the scale! He darn near got punched!! LOL! I was so mad this morning that I went shopping, bought a new pair of jeans, some ballet flats, and a bottle of wine. I'm having a glass or two tonight and sitting on my smaller, but still big butt and watching movies. I don't care how many calories or carbs it has!!!!!! And I didn't exercise today nor am I going to!! Take that fat cells, guess I showed you!! :w00t: (Disclaimer: Don't worry, I'm not giving up, just taking the day off!!) I'm still in a 16 too, but 14s are really close. I had to buy new undies the other day too. It was the first time in years and years I didn't buy total granny panties, only semi-grannyish! Hope you guys all have a great weekend!!!!!

I've GAINED 1.5 pounds this week!!!!!!!!!!! I mean really, WTH?!?!?!?!?! I'm so pissed!!!!!!!!!!!

I usually eat between 1200-1400 calories, but aim for 1200. I usually burn between 400-600 calories most days in exercise. I don't eat calories just to consume them, but if I'm hungry, I eat. Most of the stuff I eat is lower calorie anyway and therefore some days my caloric intake is less than it probably should be. I have totally hit a plateau so I'm thinking about trying to get in more calories to see if that's the problem. However, some days there just aren't enough hours in the day to eat more than I already do. I'm sorry, I know this probably doesn't help you, but this is where I am. Good luck.

Oops! After re-reading your instructions, I think I may have done this wrong. Sorry. :w00t:

Okay guys, something funny happened today and I just had to share it with you! In class today I was talking to a classmate and told her she was looking good, loosing weight, etc (this is a phys ed class) and she looked right at me and I swear said, "I think I have a tapeworm". After my initial surprise and trying not to bust out laughing, I asked her why she thought that. Keep in mind this girl is very young. She told me she could feel it "swirling around in there". I told her it was probably gas. She was adamant that it was a tapeworm. I couldn't believe we were having this conversation especially after reading this thread just yesterday. Too funny!!

Hey Leslie! I think it's a great idea. I had asked mom for a list of the things she was eating, so this is perfect. Now we can all see and get ideas and point out issues. Excellent!

I'm going to go ahead and add what I have for today and then I'll edit for dinner, etc. Date: Oct 2 What Did You Eat Today?: B - f/f yogurt, 1/2 c blueberries, nature valley bar crushed, 1 T almonds, coffee w/ f/f creamer S - 1/2 PB clif Protein bar L - 1 slice sesame Ezekiel bread, 1 oz ham, 1 oz provalone S - 1 oz roasted, salted soy nuts D - 1/2 homemade lean hamburger, salad w/ lite dressing, 1/4 c mac-n-cheese Protein: 76 g (1181 cals) Water Intake: 1.5 liters Exercise: 10 min elliptikill; 30 min interval hill treadmill (max incline 5%, max speed 5 mph); 40 min weight lifting - (cal burned 574) Anything to add: I'm hungry tonight! Gotta eat something else, but don't know what yet.

Okay, I'll do it for now. I'm very diligent on mydailyplate so I probably will get tired of doing it in two places. We had church last night and this was the dinner served. It was soooo good!! I think considering I did pretty well. 5 months ago, I'd have eaten tons more! Yah for progress!! Date: Oct 1st What Did You Eat Today?: B - coffee w/ f/f creamer and splenda, black bean garden burger w/ salad, lite dressing and veggies (weird, I know); L - Soy Protein shake with blueberries; S - 1/2 c plain f/f yogurt, 1/2 c blueberries, 1/2 nature valley bar (crushed), 1 T almonds. D - 1/2 chicken fried steak, 1/4 c mashed taters, 1/4 c gravy, 1/2 c corn, bite of salad (wanted the bad stuff more), and bite of a biscuit, 1 small slice chocolate bundt cake. Late snack - cup of sugar free hot chocolate. Protein: 62g (1317 cal) Water Intake: 2.5 liters Exercise: 3.91 miles walked; 1.3 mile (15 min) run treadmill (cal burned: 539) Anything to add:

Hey guys! I spoke with my phys ed instructor today and told her I needed help getting over my plateau. She was a sports trainer in her previous life, so I'm sure she's got some good info. She told me she has tons of ways to do it, so I'm all ears! I'm going to e-mail her details about my diet, exercise, and weight loss thus far. She's going to think about it over the weekend and get back to me next week. I'll let you guys know what she tells me since it really sounds like we are all in the same boat.

Amen sister! I know you are right, but telling myself that when I'm trying (still!!!!) to get into my favorite pair of jeans isn't working! LOL! I've been meaning to ask you what you are doing to accomplish your great loss? Do you mind sharing your routine and eating habits? You don't have to share every detail, but just a synopsis of how you are doing it would be great. Of course if you have any secrets to weight loss feel free to throw those in as well! HA! I know this is going to sound ridiculous considering why we are all here, but I'm wondering if maybe I'm not eating enough or the right combo of things. There are days when I have a negative number for calories for about half the day because I'm getting so much exercise (I have to log in everything on mydailyplate.com for my PE class). So, my caloric intake might look something like this: Total calories eaten: 1100 Calories Burned: 539 Net Calories: 561 I'm drinking at least 2 liters of Water a day, but try to get in three. I get in all the recommended Protein grams with no probs. I try to eat at least one salad per day and I always get in at least one serving of fruit if not two. I always have at least one yogurt per day. If I have anything like rice, bread, Pasta, etc it is always whole grain or whole wheat. I eat very few "bad" carbs or refined carbs. I almost never eat anything white, i.e. white bread, white rice, white crackers, etc. So what do you guys think? Do you guys think I need to change anything up? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

They did this in the 1920's or 30's as a diet pill. Then it was banned. Hmmm....wonder why? I could go on with the gross stories about how they were removed once upon a time, but I won't horrify you with it! So, Plain we have to come up with something else. Valium won't work for me, I have too much to do! LOL!!! I'm a soon to be nursing student and I think they would not look too kindly on me if I'm an addict or drooling all over myself!

Hey guys! Carol and L2L, I know what you guys mean. I had an idea in my head about how things would go, but they aren't going that way. I know that I'm loosing inches (and yes, that's what really matters to me) and I know that in the long run all of this exercise will pay off big time! However, I am so close to onderland I can taste it, but I keep going up a pound and down two, up 1 down .5, etc for weeks. I totally feel stuck. If I could just get to 199, I'd be happy for a long time!! And it obviously doesn't matter what you do because I run about 5 days a week, do yoga one day, and lift weights twice a week. And yes I know I'm getting stronger and gaining muscle, blah, blah, blah!! I think I need to re-evaluate my diet again. Something is not right!! So anyway, long story short...I understand the frustration!! Mom - glad you are getting a fill next week. I know that must be scary to be totally unfilled. And you are not alone, if I were to be unfilled all the way I know I'd run to the nearest burger place without a doubt! Don't feel bad about yourself. Look at it as an oportunity. You got to eat something maybe you've missed all this time. You'll be back to loosing in no time! Don't sweat it! It's done and over. You've lost so much weight and have so great!! Congrats!

LOL! That wasn't me, nope, uh uh! Thanks for the kind words! I'd quit for a while too. I just couldn't get into it for some reason, then I started noticing I could go longer without feeling like I was going to die. I think my two Phys Ed classes are really helping with that. Then when I saw how close I was today to doing it in 40 min I ran for all I was worth. And yes, I felt like I might die!!! Now that I've done it, I want to do it better. That's my competitive streak coming out for sure. I have similar music on my ipod as well. Although I tend to listen to mostly Metallica when I run. What can I say? It's a holdover from my misspent youth! LOL! :cool2: Besides, it's fast paced and gets me going. Today I watched an episode of Without A Trace. Sometimes with just the music, I get bored. Brandy - I would complain about the store. That's ridiculous! I wouldn't even go to the manager, I'd go over his/her head. You've got proof, send the pic.

Seriously?!? WTH? Although, I have to admit that picture looks exactly like my closet right now, but in my defense I don't get paid to keep it picked up!

Gwenn - When you hit the blue reply button, scroll down under the text box there is a button that says Manage Attachments. You can browse your computer files and find the pic you want, then hit upload. Close this box. when you submit your reply, they should be there. And thanks for the kind words.

Thanks guys, yall are sweet! And yes, I'm much happier. Isn't sad that we all look so miserable in our "before" pics. My mom in law told me that the last pics we took as a family (Feb 08) I looked as if I wished I could disappear. Okay, one more NSV and I promise I'll stop talking about myself! I've been working on my 5K time, nothing organized like couch to 5K but just doing it on my own. I got my time down to 40 minutes today! I know it's not a great time, but it's my personal best. I've been doing it in 45 min which means not running the entire time. I really think if I applied myself I could get it below 40 minutes. Anyway, it makes me happy! LOL! I have a horrible license pic from a long time ago too. I think I was almost 260 in that pic. And of course it says something like 200lbs also! LOL! I can only imagine the whoppers those people behind the counters hear! Ha! I have to have mine renewed this December. Maybe I'll be honest this time? Nah, probably not! LOL!! Congrats on your goal Brandy! Excellent job! Gwenn - You are so pretty. I hope you enjoy your holiday.

I decided to post some pics. I'm not confident enough to post them on the pic thread, but feel comfortable posting them here for you guys to see. I'm finally seeing some results from all the exercise. Up until now I haven't seen much difference in my appearance. Other people are starting to notice too which, I won't lie, is very nice. The ugly, disgusting pic is from right before surgery, the other from yesterday.

I've been banded since April and I haven't had any probs during TOM until this month. The only difference I can think of is the fact that I'm at a fairly sweet spot with restriction. I gained 3 pounds of water weight and had a hard time getting food down. I felt like I might pop for 3-4 days before TOM started. I weighed a couple of days after I finished and I lost the water weight plus some. That was a good thing, but I was certainly miserable for several days.