PhotoNut

Aww *big comforting hugs* I can't imagine being in your shoes, but I know that we all have our own paths to walk so that God can teach us what we need to learn. He knows us better than anyone, including ourselves, and He is obviously working in your life right now. Lean on Him, trust in Him. Give this entire thing over to Him and go get that endo knowing in your heart that He will bring about whatever is best for you. Whether it be keeping your band or having it removed, He will be with you and He will guide you on the path that will take you where He knows you need to be. Have you ever read Hind's Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard? Marvelous little book that takes you on a journey of surrender. I think it would really speak to your heart right now and I highly suggest you read it. I don't usually respond to posts here on LBT like this, but I felt led to this time. I'll be praying for you. *hugs*

StrawartS, that's an excellent idea! Sunsett, it sounds to me like your daughter is feeling pressure about looking bigger next to you. She's probably allowed herself to feel "OK" about her size because, after all, she's smaller than you. I wish I'd have had the opportunity to get banded when I was only 30, 40, 50, 60 pounds overweight. Look at all of the years of heartache I would have prevented!

Chunk - I hope you didn't join and then disappear on us! Kimmers - Drink more Water. It eliminates the water retention. Kristin - SIX pounds! Wow!!! Tricia - OMG girl. You must be nearly insane by now. Onederland has been so close for so long! I just know you're going to explode with joy the day you finally see those numbers.. 1..9..9! Did you get your pedicure for the "feet on the scale' pic yet? DeAnn! One week away! Finally!! You've done so well on your own, I'm sure that you're going to amaze us with your band! Maryb - That is such great news about your daughter! I saw your post about Capitl One approving her in two hours. That's just awesome! :clap2: Heather - Thank you for being so encouraging. You have done such a fantastic job on your journey and I'm so proud of you and happy for you! Linda - Walking with you and Judah yesterday was so awesome! I'm sorry I flaked out on you today. I was so sore! *laughs* You did great and put me to shame! What stinks is that today is the first day of the challenge and we need that 30 mins for our points today. I might call you later and drag you out this evening when it cools down some, so be prepared! :woot: Mary - 150.. oh.. my.. god! I will be in heaven when I see 150 on the scales again! You go girl! Tellymelly! Welcome to the club and I have to tell you that I've really enjoyed your addition to the club already. I love the way you think! :Banane33: Emilee - Down 2 this week! Alright! :rockon: Penni - Welcome back, I've missed you! Join the challenge with us! I know it will help. And you can trust that I'm praying for you. Remember that a lot of this battle is in our heads. Force yourself to think positively about your ability to make good choices. Stand up for yourself when those food demons whisper temptations and thoughts of failure! You are a beautiful person inside and out, talented and loving, and you deserve to be treated better... by YOU! *big hugs* So.. the challenge starts today everyone! Focus on getting your points earned for the day and sometime tonight I'll have the new thread started so you can record what you earned today.

:welcomeB: to the Gone for Good Club :clap2: Chunk and Tellymelly!!:clap2: I'll get you both added to the Member's Page tonight.

Have I ever told you all just how much you rock!? Well you do! What a fantabulous group of losers you are! I'm so happy and proud to be in this group with such caring, hard working, determined and big hearted people. I love this Club! Grats to everyone on doing such a great job this past week! :clap2:

Leener, I completely understand that feeling having gone through it twice myself. *hugs* Oh, and about your man in his 20s? You go girl! My man is 16 years younger than me. He tells me that "You're only as old as the man you feel"! w00t!!

Ok, I think I solved the problem with trying to get columns to work. Below is a copy of the score cards we will use during the challenge. I am going to be closing this thread after I get in all of the weigh-in and new member updates completed tonight, and then I will start a GFG Club - May 2006 thread that we will put the score cards on. I will post the score card and instructions on how to update the card on the new thread. If anyone sees any mistakes I've made in the score card, please let me know so they can be corrected prior to everyone copying the card! Thanks! _______________________________________ Gone for Good Club Spring Challenge Score Card Points earned for Rule 1 For each day that you drink a minimum of 64oz of water, you earn 1 point. You may earn a bonus of 5 points for a perfect month. 4-26_____4-27_____4-28_____4-29_____4-30_____5-01_____5-02_____5-03_____Week's Total_____ 5-04_____5-05_____5-06_____5-07_____5-08_____5-09_____5-10_____Week's Total_____ 5-11_____5-12_____5-13_____5-14_____5-15_____5-16_____5-17_____Week's Total_____ 5-18_____5-19_____5-20_____5-21_____5-22_____5-23_____5-24_____Week's Total_____ 5-25_____5-26_____5-27_____5-28_____5-29_____5-30_____5-31_____Week's Total_____ Bonus earned_____Grand Total_______ Points earned for Rule 2 For each day that you exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes, you earn 2 points. You may earn a bonus of 5 points for a perfect month. 4-26_____4-27_____4-28_____4-29_____4-30_____5-01_____5-02_____5-03_____Week's Total_____ 5-04_____5-05_____5-06_____5-07_____5-08_____5-09_____5-10_____Week's Total_____ 5-11_____5-12_____5-13_____5-14_____5-15_____5-16_____5-17_____Week's Total_____ 5-18_____5-19_____5-20_____5-21_____5-22_____5-23_____5-24_____Week's Total_____ 5-25_____5-26_____5-27_____5-28_____5-29_____5-30_____5-31_____Week's Total_____ Bonus earned_____Grand Total_______ Points earned for Rule 3 For each day that you do not eat foods that contain flour or sugar, you earn 3 points. (sugar substitutes are allowed) You may earn a bonus of 5 points for a perfect month. 4-26_____4-27_____4-28_____4-29_____4-30_____5-01_____5-02_____5-03_____Week's Total_____ 5-04_____5-05_____5-06_____5-07_____5-08_____5-09_____5-10_____Week's Total_____ 5-11_____5-12_____5-13_____5-14_____5-15_____5-16_____5-17_____Week's Total_____ 5-18_____5-19_____5-20_____5-21_____5-22_____5-23_____5-24_____Week's Total_____ 5-25_____5-26_____5-27_____5-28_____5-29_____5-30_____5-31_____Week's Total_____ Bonus earned_____Grand Total_______ Points earned for Weight loss For each pound that you lose during the challenge, you earn 1 point Beginning weight 4-26: Weigh-in weight 5-3: Weigh-in weight 5-10: Weigh-in weight 5-17: Weigh-in weight 5-24: Ending weight 5-31: Total lost during challenge: Total points earned for Rule 1: Total points earned for Rule 2: Total points earned for Rule 3: Total points earned for weight loss: Total Challenge points earned:

It's weigh-in day! Here's the format for reporting. Copy and paste in your own numbers: C 244.5 (-62.5 pounds total, -1.5 this week) By the way, thats mine this week.

Awww Dawn, I'm so sorry about your mom. *hugs* Have you gone through any pre-op testing? That was a huge comfort to me, knowing they were checking me inside and out to be sure that I was a good candidate for the surgery. I also went through psychological testing. Surgery and recovery can be stressful. Facing such huge changes in your lifestyle can also be stressful, or at least the perception of what those changes will be like can be stressful. I've found that those changes are actually very free'ing. Listen to your instincts. Only you can know what your emotional strengths are. Anyway, perhaps you should be in touch with your Dr and talk to him about your concerns and what's going on with you. Make the decision with his guidance. I wish you all the best in your decision making, and you and your family will be in my thoughts and prayers. Life does go on and as Seminole said, I'm sure your mom would have wanted you to continue on your journey to good health.

Good lord.. how utterly rediculous!!! Call your Dr in the morning and tell her what happened. See if she will give you samples. I've been on Effexor since December and I haven't paid for any yet. My Dr fills up a brown paper lunch sack with all of the samples she can stuff in there! In fact, I'm going back next week to get my next supply. Maybe your Dr will write a nasty gram to the insurance company for you too. You can't just "get off of Effexor" like that. It takes time to wean yourself so you don't have miserable side affects. Grrr.. how stupid and grrr.. ASSININE can they be??

Well phooey! I've made the neatest score cards but the LBT code wont hold the formatting when I paste it in here. Give me some time to dwell on it and I'll come up with something in the morning. Nite ya Losers! *big smile*

Heyas Wheetsin, Geesh I'm sure sorry to hear the bad news! Being involved in an accident, or just having a loved one involved, can be very upsetting. The loss of your car just sucks. I sure hope everything turns out in your favor with all of this. Tell your husband that we are all grateful that he and his friends weren't injured any more than they were. *hugs*

I have created a Word document with a table in it. I want to copy that into a post here so I can keep the columns/table. I can't seem to get it to work. Does anyone know that trick?

Actually, 3loves, that's not weird at all. Dawg's erosion stats thread was done that way, but since then we have tried and tried to get it to work again and it just wont. He keeps that spreadsheet on his computer, updates it and pastes it over the old one. But when we copied it and tried to paste it into a new thread, it didn't work. Explain that one! LOL!

I was researching hormones stored in fat cells because of a comment that 3loves made on Yoda's "Anyone IRRITABLE" thread. I came across this article and thought it might be helpful to many, so here it is. The Hormones of Fat Loss by author Lorna Vanderhaeghe, BSc By understanding how hormones such as insulin, thyroid, serotonin, leptin, and cortisol work, we can regulate our weight more effectively. Like many readers of alive, one of your New Year’s resolutions may have been to lose a few pounds. If you’ve already eaten your way through January, you’re not alone. Long-term studies show that one to two-thirds of weight lost through dieting is regained within one year. Almost all weight is regained within five years - disheartening information if you’re trying to lose weight by restricting calories. Yet we know that packing around too many pounds can lead to cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, cancer, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, gastric reflux, and many other health complications. Most people lose weight to fit into a smaller clothing size, but being fat takes years off our lives and the emotional, physical, and societal costs are exorbitant. I spent most of 2003 writing a book on fat loss. While wading through references, I was excited by research showing that not only the food we eat but certain hormones, including insulin, thyroid, serotonin, leptin, and cortisol, determine whether we are skinny or fat. By understanding how these hormones work we can regulate our waist size more effectively. Sour Side of Insulin High levels of insulin may contribute to our fatness. Insulin, the blood sugar regulator, is pumped out in excessive amounts as it tries to reduce the abnormally high blood sugar that results from a high carbohydrate, low Protein diet. We inevitably gain weight and become fat, and our cells become resistant to insulin and fat loss. Cortisol High insulin also increases the secretion of cortisol, our stress hormone. High cortisol causes a corresponding drop in the hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which, among other actions, helps to increase muscle mass. More muscle mass is needed for fat loss, as it increases fat burning and reduce insulin. Chronic stress also activates all fat cells to store fat. The central fat cells, found mainly deep in the abdominal wall, have four times the cortisol receptors on their cell membranes. Each time we are stressed the cortisol-fat mechanism turns on and our body stores more fat. Body Fat and Leptin Another hormone - leptin, produced by body fat - is critical in telling the body when to eat and when we are satisfied. Scientists have learned that in some people the message of satiety is not heard and fat cells send out more and more leptin, causing resistance to leptin, increased food cravings, and the desire to continue eating. In other people, leptin levels are low due to zinc deficiency. Serotonin Satisfaction The hormone serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain made from the amino acids found in Proteins, is also involved in signalling satisfaction. Low serotonin levels cause depression, obesity, lethargy, a preference for refined carbohydrates, and overeating because the brain senses it is starving. A diet that restricts protein-rich calories causes serotonin levels to plummet. People who are hyper-secretors of cortisol also exhibit suppressed serotonin levels. Thyroid to Go Low thyroid - called hypothyroidism - affects approximately 30 percent of the population in Canada. Low thyroid reduces our fat burning rate and causes fatigue, inhibiting energy levels. Scientists have unlocked the secret to fighting fat. Diets don’t work. We must eat to ensure healthy hormones, eat less, walk, and laugh more. And here is a bit of another related article about Leptin: Appetite control occurs in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus and includes the hunger and satiety centers. (Satiety means the body has enough food). The centers respond to levels of sugar and amino acids in the blood and hormone signals from the fat cells. Fat releases a hormone called leptin that turns off hunger and promotes satiety. Dr. William Banks and colleagues from the VA Medical Center in St. Louis and Saint Louis University found that high levels of blood fats (triglycerides) block the signal from leptin, which promotes overeating. Our genes are programmed to protect us against starvation, not overeating. Hungry people increase blood fat levels as they break down fat stores for energy. This blocks leptin, which maintains hunger and search for food. Obese people also have high levels of blood fats, which prevent satiety and promote overeating. This study showed that vegetable fats did not block leptin, but animal fats did. Eating low-fat diet helped leptin work better in obese mice. More: 1st Article: http://www.alive.com/1686a5a2.php?subject_bread_cramb=150 2nd Article: http://weight-loss.womendiary.net/

Sure, why not? I am designing score cards that you all can just copy and paste into your posts. This should keep it simple for all of us to keep tally of our points. Any other comments or pics you want to put under your score card is totally up to you. I'll show you a sample soon. And remember, Tomorrow is the start of the GFG Spring Challenge! Woot!!:clap2:

Four easy steps to solve problems with such people: 1. Click on the user's name. 2. Click on view user profile. 3. Click on Add (user's name) to your ignore list. 4. Click on Submit. Works very very well.

Four easy steps to solve problems with such people: 1. Click on the user's name. 2. Click on view user profile. 3. Click on Add (user's name) to your ignore list. 4. Click on Submit. Works very very well.

Wow Yoda.. you just showed your age! Oh.. umm.. err.. Johnny who?? *grins* Hm, tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it. I'll give me until 9am before that's shot to hell. *laughs*

*hugs her happy pills* I'd have been lost without my Effexor. Seriously. But I started taking them about 3 weeks before I even knew I was going to be able to have the surgery. Wow.. my life took a 180 turn for the better last November. Oh, sorry.. this isn't my thread, is it? *laughs* It won't stay this way Yoda, but in the meantime make the best of your "excuse"! LOL!

I dont cook like I used to at all. This took some getting used to and breaking old habits as well. I have big pans, big bowls, big plates, big serving bowls, big untensils, big everything! I cooked big! I never knew how to cook for the right amount. For some reason I thought I needed to double everything - probably because I knew myself well. *laughs* Anyway, I am only cooking for me now and I keep it so simple. The only think I cook on top of the stove is veggies and oatmeal. Most everything else is in the microwave (Gorton's grilled fish fillets and Healthy Choice lunches). When I cook veggies, I only cook 3/4 C at a time so I use the smallest sauce pan I have. Dawg eats Healthy Choice meals for dinner, and he takes instant oatmeal, Starkist tuna lunch packs, and fruit with him to work. Occassionally I will cook big in the crock pot. Usually a bag of frozen chicken breasts or a pot roast. The left overs only last two days though because our son eats these meals too. It will take some time to get in the smaller mentality, but with some effort you can do it.

Cashley and Cynthia - ROFL!! I loved your suggestions! And believe it or not, the tequila (or as I call it.. ta kill ya) isn't such a bad idea. A few shots and you're there. Saves money and calories! There's only one problem with that though.. after shot 3, shots 4 thru death come too easily! *laughs*

You're absolutely right 3loves. Hormones are stored in fat cells and as the fat is burned the hormones are released into the system. Ever notice how much you break out with pimples on your face and body when you start losing weight? That's why. So yes, being irritable, moody, anxious, overly happy, etc. is all normal.

Keep doing what you're doing and Drink Water! 64oz PLUS 8oz more for each 25 pounds of excess weight. Check out this article: http://www.inch-aweigh.com/water.html

What are they nuts??!! Yes do it. It's excellent for your health, your looks and for burning fat! Our son is a personal trainer. He weighs 195 has 10% body fat and eats about 5,000 calories per day! Why? Because the muscles burn calories and he's trying to maintain/gain muscle weight. Your joints, back, legs, hip, everything! will feel so much better when your muscles are tones and supporting your frame with ease. Unlike how we all feel when the muscles are weak and failing to support us, resulting in aching backs, hips, knees, etc. You are absolutely right. Muscle weighs more than fat, BUT it takes up about a third of the space on your body! I would happily weigh 150 pounds if I was slim and firm, rather than to weigh 130 and be flabby! It won't slow you down, it will speed up your progress to looking and feel great! Do it! :clap2: