PhotoNut

I just saw this! :eekB: Go back to tickerfactory.com, select weight, then click next, change your current weight, then click next, copy the updated code in the bbCode box like you did the first time. Then delete your current ticker in your signature and paste in the newly copied one. That should do it!

Eight years ago, we got two pets from the pound. First was Abby, the cat who became known as Abby the Bitch. She was the toughest, meanest most loving cat we've ever known. Now this could have been brought on by certain someones who found it funny to torment her when she was younger. Things like sraying her down with Windex and washing the sliding glass doors with her, or sliding her back and forth across the kitchen floor in some fashion of an air hockey game. She got revenge though. *grins* We lost Abby last week. Found her seemingly asleep by the side of the house, stiff as a board. We miss her. We spotted Murray in the pound and immediately knew he was to be ours. I swear that dog thought he was human. I can't even begin to tell you what a big part of us he was. Murray's life with us came to an end last fall but we still think we hear him or see him around the house. He was the best dog ever. He loved this family (including the two cats) and we loved him. We miss him. Our sole survivor came to us six years ago as a tiny kitten rescued from some stupid teenage girl who just about killed it by carrying it around in the summer heat. Our son saw that the cat was nearly dead and just took it from the girl, telling her she didn't deserve to have it! He brought it home and named that precious ball of orange fur, Princess... who promptly grew some healthy male organs and then became, the cat formerly known as Princess! *laughs* Actually, he was renamed Sprout. Since he was tiny he has loved to sit in flower pots. He is our only baby now. He misses his pals Murray and Abby, and rarely leaves our sides. Even though Murray and Abby aren't with us anymore, I couldn't put up our pet pics without including them. Abby is in the middle of the picture below. We think that image best described her! *laughs*

Hi Susan! Welcome to bandland! As everyone has said, it is normal to be tired. Your body has gone through a lot of "shock" from the surgery and now it's focusing its enery on healing the "injuries". Follow its lead and do what you can when you feel up to it, but get all the rest you need. I remember the first time I looked at myself in the mirror after surgery. My reaction was, "I paid $26,000 for THIS?!" My stomach was so bloated, I looked pregnant! I weighed and much to my horror I had gained 8 pounds! I was told this was from all the fluids pumped into me via IV. And sure enough it went away and I started losing about a pound a day. One day I even lost 8 pounds! After you switch from liquids back to more solid foods, that rapid weight loss will slow down. It's even normal for some to gain a few pounds during this phase. After the swelling goes down, you will be able to eat just like you did pre-band, not that you should, so you'll start getting the hunger stuff to deal with until you get a fill and some restriction. Once that happens, the weight should come off at about 2 pounds per week (average). Sounds like you are doing really well. I'm happy for ya! Keep sip, sip, sipping on that water!

Well, we finally did it! We got started on our resistance training in the gym today. We did arms, chest and back. Tomorrow we go back to do legs, butts, and some stomach work but mainly twisting and stuff until we build up enough muscle to support the more targeted stomach exercises. I'm such a wimp! Some of the stuff I had to set on 5 pounds. A few years ago, we did some weight training and I had worked up to a lot more weight than that. Now I'm starting over. But it won't take long. It was good to be moving those muscles again! Loved it! I'm doing well on my scorecard. I've been thinking about all of you who might be a bit too strict on yourselves in regards to the sugar and flour thing. I want everyone to be logical about it. We are aiming this at baked goods, candies and sweets, and adding granulated sugar to your food not at whole grain cereals, marinades, canned fruit (light syrup). I know that sugar is in just about everything we eat. Those of us who live in America are trained to have a sweet tooth from a very young age. So, if you are being prudent in selecting low sugar or unsweetened foods and avoiding processed flours and baked goods, then please don't be analysing the lables for the grams of sugars in that soy sauce or cottage cheese. Be fair with yourself and be honest with yourself. You know whether or not you've earned those points! Love you all! Goodnight from an exhausted P'Nut. ZZZzzzzzz......

Skye, you have put the BIGGEST smile on my face, my friend! This is exactly the kind of thing I've been waiting to hear from you and the very thing I've been praying for. Peace for your family. What a wonderful little oasis for you, your hubby and your boys to take a breather from all of the stress you guys have been under. I'm so so happy for you. And your NSV - Wow! 12s and 14s! OMG! I can hardly wait to experience that again! Your doctor is right, you ARE doing a great job. In fact, considering what you're going through at the same time, you're doing above and beyond great - you're do an amazing job hun. *big hugs* To all in the Challenge - It's fine by me if you keep score cards offline and update every few days. I think that's a great idea! Mystjin - I'm so happy about your surgery date girl! Have a wonderful time in Orlando! Put all of this out of your mind and just have a blast! *hugs* Maggie - w00t! Almost 60 pounds! You go girl!! :clap2: By the way, how are the "Twins"? Skbishop - No worries hun, do what you can but family certainly comes first. Try the printed card and update when you have some free time. :eek: Sammari - I'm happy you joined the Challenge! I'll get you added to the members page (first post on page one of this thread). Please post a short hello to everyone and tell us a bit about yourself?

Aw Jen, I can imagine how you must be feeling. My hair started falling out when I stopped taking my synthroid (stupid me). A beautiful head of hair is important to us gals! Sounds like you are doing all the right things. You must be getting about 100 grams of Protein a day. My hair hasn't reacted like this, thank goodness, so I don't know what to suggest other than maybe calling a really top notch hair salon and seeing what they might suggest. Try to relax about it too. Stress can cause some pretty extreme things to happen in our bodies, including hair loss. *hugs*

Check out this thread about egg drop soup: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=17041 Also, there are several threads about foods to eat in the food Forum. Click on the link below to get there: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=9

JJB - Just out of curiosity, how are you getting your daily protein? Through liquids or hard proteins like chicken and fish?

Have we lost the ability to Edit our own posts? Where have the Edit buttons gone? Only some of my posts have them. Is it just me or is everyone seeing this? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ok, when I posted this, it has an Edit button, but it doesn't have the option to delete my post. Any ideas what's going on?

Jan 9th. Ive had one fill at six weeks. Seem to be doing ok on that amount.

Moist flaky fish is considered a soft, or mushy, food. Tuna with a couple of tablespoons of fat free thousand island dressing is quite good and has about 34 grams of protein. Gorton's makes some wonderfully tasty and moist fish fillets (non breaded). Fish is a great source of protein!

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Nana - If fitday is a pain in the arse, do something that better suits you. I keep a journal in an excel spreadsheet that I set up to fit what I wanted to track (amount, calories, proteins). Even if you keep a small notebook in the kitchen or with you during the day and you just jot down what you're going to eat, before you eat it, this can be very helpful. You can see when you're getting close to going over the daily limit, as well as see when you need to eat more. Fosterc - How often are you weighing? The body's weight can fluctuate up to 5 pounds difference in a day. It's also very common to hit a slow period. Also, are you keeping track of what you're eating? Are you drinking enough Water? Drinking with meals? Are you exercising 30 mins a day? Sometimes we get off track and don't realize it. Just follow the rules and keep on going. You'll see the scale move again.

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I just had this conversation with LindaV today as we walked through a beautiful park. :eek: I always thought that food was a comfort to me. I feared, even mourned, the idea of giving up my friend, my comfort, my place to escape the stresses around me. I wondered what I would do "out there by myself" once I could no longer turn to food in times of need. I have been banded for about four months now, and not once have I panicked or freaked out because I couldn't stuff a huge amount of food down my throat in an attempt to find comfort. Surprisingly, it hasn't even been an issue. My thoughts don't even turn to food when I'm stressed or unhappy. I found this very strange and have spent a lot of time thinking about it. The conclusion I have reached is that food never was a comfort to me. In fact, it was quite the opposite. It was my punishment. Hm, ok.. very different approach. But one that really makes sense to me. For example... the day I was to go see the nutritionist and get started on the pre-op diet, I stopped at McDonald's on the way there. My husband and I had both agreed not to eat fast food once we found out I was going to be banded, so even though I knew when I dropped him off at work that I was going straight to McDonald's, I hid it from him. All the way there I argued with myself. I was angry about the fact that I was going to do this even though I really didn't want to give in. I was fuming by the time I was in the drive through ordering the sausage egg buscuit, hashbrowns and medium orange juice (my morning meal for the last two years). As I began unwrapping the biscuit, I began to cry. As I drove down the road I stuffed the first bite in my mouth and it wasn't even good. I cried all the way to the nutritionist's office - while I forced myself to eat every bite of the meal. I was so upset with myself. I was so angry and hurt by my failure. It didn't even taste good. *sighs* Today, as Linda and I talked about this, it occurred to me that if I had done this to a child - forced that food in their mouth and made them eat it all while they cried and protested - that would nearly be a crime of abuse. And yet, I did it to myself. Thinking back, I felt this way every time I ate. I didn't cry, but I felt like it. I knew I was only getting fatter and uglier while shortening my life. The way I treated ME was cruel. Do I miss those foods now? No. Am I happy to be free? Yes! Do I wonder if I'll ever be able to have them again? No. In fact, now that I recognize what those foods REALLY represent, I hate them and will never allow them around me again. Is it worth it? Oh yes. Very much so. I am headed toward -70 pounds and with each passing day I can breathe better, walk better, think clearer, sleep better, and good grief, I look better! Would I trade that for a french fry? Nope. Would I give up my goal of 130 for some ice cream? No way. Would I risk losing my last chance to really live again for a piece of cake? Not a chance in hell. I'll go to a birthday party to be with the people, not the food. I can go out to dinner and order chicken and steamed veggies, and I have just as much fun as I did when I was eating a huge burger with all the trimmings. No - that's not quite true. I feel better! I walk out with my head held high, not hanging low from embarassment while I waddle my bloated, overstuffed body out to the car. Yes, it's so worth it that I would do it over every month if I had to. And by the way, Welcome to LBT! :eek:

I have 1cc and I feel fine. I can eat chicken, roast beef, steak, shrimp, salad, and broccoli with no problem unless I am naughty and sneak a cold drink of iced tea while I'm eating. That's instant stomach clenching right there, and it's given me some pain twice. I did learn the second time. Anyway, I don't get hungry between meals and I'm very pleased with the abiility to eat well and not suffer with morning tightness or PBs. I'll not be getting another fill unless I start getting hungry in that four hour zone between meals.

It was a joke, you nut. *laughs* Hi Funny! Hi DeAnn! *waves hello to her pals*

I read somewhere on here that putting the capsule in warm Water for just a few seconds makes the outter part of the capsule become soft and slippery. So it's easily swallowed. I take 75mg capsules everyday and have had no problems at all. If you do have any problems, I'd recommend small sips of warm liquid. Good luck

Hello, I'm Susan and I'm a scale addict. Dawg takes the batteries out and hides them until weigh in day. Only.. he's forgotten the last couple of weeks. Shhhh....

Telly, weigh-in is on Wednesday. Cheater! *laughs* (I'm only down 1 pound this morning) You should only be weighing once a week, any more could cause great frustration. (Why has my loss slowed down so much? I want more 4 pound weeks! Grrr) Listen to your leader. She knows what works. (Im going to go weigh again now. If I take off 5 pounds for my clothes, and another 5 for the food and liquid I've had today, that should be about right) Weighing before weigh in day could cause heartbreak when you see three pounds lost on Monday, but only one on Wedneday because of some water retention.

I have 7pm in my head as the cutoff time for eating, but I don't always stick to it. Sometimes, especially now that it's staying light longer, we don't get around to eating dinner until 8. I think the most important thing is to stop three hours before you go to bed. So, if you stay up late perhaps repositioning your eating times might help. Maybe have your last meal at 8pm and have a snack around 10pm? However, unless you are an active nightowl, chances are you'll just be sitting around with your metabolism slowing down for the night and the calories won't be burning as effectively as they do during the day when you are up and out, moving around. So I would choose a lighter meal in the later evening. Maybe a salad with tuna in it. And get the heavier meal in the afternoon.

PS - the article about summertime arms is great

How ironic. I just got this newsletter from BeachBody.com. I thought it very applicable. <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=532 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=defaultBB vAlign=top width=532 bgColor=#ffffff>Issue #200 April 26, 2006 <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width=464 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=72></TD><TD width=376> SHAPE UP FOR SUMMER! 6 Quick Tips to Tip the scale in Your Favor 6 Best Moves for Summertime Arms </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><HR width="100%"> "Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it." Russell Baker <HR width="100%">6 Quick Tips to Tip the Scale in Your Favor By Denis Faye The annals of Beachbody are filled with Success Stories, which is probably why you buy our products. But what happens when, no matter how hard you Push Play, and how fascist you get with what you put in your mouth, that scale just won't budge? Usually, you get mad, you swear, you throw the scale at the television, then settle down for a tub of Ben & Jerry's and a good cry. Well, dry your eyes, little darlin'. Odds are you can solve the problem easily. Following one of these six solutions should earn you a ticket on the Tony train to Fitsville. You Aren't Losing Weight The problem: When you exercise, you gain muscle, which weighs more than fat. If you're really getting a lot out of an exercise regimen, oftentimes, the first four or five weeks will find you losing fat and gaining muscle at a similar clip, so it appears you're not losing. The solution: Use a tape measure to chart progress. That will give you a truer representation—and remember, muscle gain levels out quickly. The change is probably right around the corner. You're Eating the Wrong Things The problem: Especially in this shove-it-down-your-throat consumer society, knowing the right way of eating the right things is tricky. There are lots of foods that are supposed to be good for you, yet actually work against you if you're trying to lose weight. The classic example is fruit juice. Great stuff, full of Vitamins, but also devoid of Fiber, so drinking a glass is basically a couple hundred calories of sugar Water from a weight loss perspective. Another example is Peanut Butter. Fats are highly caloric, meaning a little goes a long way and a lot goes too far. When the nutrition facts say a tablespoon is 100 calories, that means one flush tablespoon. Any amount of heaping can quickly double, triple, or quadruple the calories. The solution: Go through your diet with a fine-tooth comb, questioning anything that's not whole fresh produce, whole grains, or lean Protein. If you need help, pop over to the Beachbody.com Message Boards and ask the Advice Staff. The Daily Cheat The problem: This is sort of a subset of the above dilemma. You eat like a monk all day, but you tell yourself you deserve one daily reward. A candy bar, a Coke, chocolate, a bag of chips—maybe even something that doesn't start with the letter "C." As far as we're concerned, you deserve anything your heart desires, but will that help you lose weight? No. It doesn't seem like much, but that daily cheat can cause all kinds of problems. It can cause a sugar spike. It can send your fat percentage through the roof. It might just be those extra 300 calories that are holding you back. The solution: Treat yourself once a week instead. You're Not Eating Enough The problem: I know, I know, logic dictates that if you eat less, you lose weight, but it doesn't always work that way. In general, the body wants to have more fat than you want it to have. Fat is an emergency fuel source and it protects the vital organs. While your brain thinks in the 21st century, your body still thinks in caveman terms. If you don't eat enough and you're under stress (such as from exercise), the body can panic, fearing famine or drought. It conserves energy (or fat) and gives you less juice to do what you do throughout the day. The solution: Bump your diet up in healthy 300-calorie increments until you start losing again. When you plateau, bump up again. Another trick is to zigzag, eating 1,200 calories one day and 2,000 the next, so your body thinks it's getting more than it really is. You're Overtraining The problem: People tend to think that the body can handle as much punishment as we can give it. They buy Slim in 6<SUP>®</SUP> and decide to double it, thinking they'll lose weight twice as fast. Won't happen. When you exercise, you're actually breaking down your muscles. If you don't give them enough time to recover, they just won't be able to do the work. You won't progress. What's even worse is when you overtrain your cardiovascular system, you're tiring out your heart muscles, which can lead to a chronic state where you're tired and lethargic. The solution: Just do what the Beachbody program recommends. Take a day off each week. Take recovery weeks seriously. Another thing you can do is take your resting heart rate each morning. If it starts to go up even though you're working out, that means you're overtraining, tired, and it's time for a recovery week. You're Not Exercising Enough The problem: It's possible to go through the motions on just about any workout video without benefiting. Just showing up doesn't get the job done. Also, working out three or four days a week is fine if you're only trying to maintain fitness, but odds are it won't help you progress. The solution. Make sure to hit it five days a week, minimum. Six would be great. When you exercise, make sure you're sweating. If you push yourself to a point where you need to stop, that's okay. Stop and take a drink of water. Better to get yourself to that point than to underperform. This might also be a good time to try a heart monitor, to make sure it's getting up there. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Just purrr and rub up against his leg. He'll give you what you want. *grins*

Ok, Sunta, I'm going to tease you now by saying "DUH!" In my mind, my band means no more fried, fat filled, starchy foods. I love my band because it won't let me have those things. Have I tried. Heck NO! I don't want to test the PB waters, AND I'm sick of being fat so those types of foods have no business in my diet. Do I miss those types of foods? Only during the first fleeting remberance of them. Then I start telling myself the truth - those foods contain nothing of any real value to my body. They are empty calories that will interrupt my focus on getting healthy. So yes, they are the devil. And he often appears to us a very inviting, very tempting forms. Today, it happened to be french fries. Oh, and chances are that it wasn't JUST the fries that did you in. You were eating hamburger, bread and fries. Three known PB risks. Silly Sunta! *hugs*