MSnika3

I'm back! And I am happy to report that while I was away I completed Week 2 day 4. It felt very good, in fact as each running interval ended, I found myself thinking...that's it? I'm walking, again, already? I really think I could have started week 3. But I'll stay where I am for now. May be I'll start week 3 on Monday. I am now embarassed about my previous rant! Perhaps I was just sinking back into my old ways after having too many days away from exercise. At any rate I want someone to bookmark this post for a later time when I fall off track and become content with laziness and excuses. When that time comes (and it will) I want to be reminded of the following: 1) It feels could to exercise. It is an accomplishment and help my overall well being and weight loss efforts. 2) School does not start for 3 weeks, that's 3 more weeks of progress before my schedule changes. Why let a future problem affect me now? 3) My husband never works more than 2 night shifts during the week. Therefore, I have Saturday and Sunday, in addition to 3 weeknights to continue my program so that I don't have to exercise during the hot afternoon! 4) I am full of *(@ and am just looking for an easy way out! 5) I can do this! I will do this!! 6) I really do love the rocky music!

Haven't posted in a few days, and haven't run or exercised since last Friday. Unless you count fishing all day and cleaning fish for 3 hours or laying foundation and building a shed all day. Glad everyone is doing well and staying the course. Keep it up! I must admit that I have been trying to find a good excuse to bow out of this challenge. School will be starting soon and I feel like I'm not going to stick with it if I have to run in the hot ass Mississippi afternoon heat or work around my husbands wacky work schedule. Unfortunately, my frame of mind has not changed enough regarding exercise. I can still talk myself out of it much too quickly. I'm trying to talk myself into getting up to start Day 4 of week 2 right now. I'm repeating week 2, as I'm not quite brave enough to try week 3, yet. I have given myself a list of excuses...I'm still sleepy, I need to clean up, I have clothes to fold, I have errands to run, I need to start preparing for the new school year. I know that they are all excuses. I will be honest and say that right now, I am just not motivated to exercise and I just don't feel like moving! Right now, I could give two flips about the rocky music! :confused: What is wrong with me????

Thank you Amanda! That is exactly how i feel! Any weight that I lose at this point is because of willpower, diet, and exercise! If I could make it forever on that, I never would have gotten the band. One day, the willpower will succumb to temptation, I just hope by then I will have a good amount of restriction and my temptation will be very limited!

This sounds very similar to the bacon ranch dip I make.... ranch dip mix sour cream real bacon bits cheddar cheese I bet it would even be good with added spinach! Yummy!!!!:smile2: Thanks! Since Miralax doesn't seem to work well for me....I finally had a little bitty touch of diarrhea after taking it for 3 days and then adding a double dose, maybe I'll grab a bag of SF Werther's!!

Hi everyone! I was banded May 9th. I've only lost 21 lbs. Yeah, yeah, I know that looks good in print! But, it really isn't. I lost 7 lbs pre-op. Of the 14 post-op pounds, I lost about 10 the first week after surgery. After that, I plateaud and then yo-yo'd 5-7 lbs for the next few weeks. I was on the up point of my yo-yo when I got my 1st fill (6-27...7 weeks post op). To date, I have no restriction with 3ccs and am not scheduled for another fill until August 4. (My doc is very strict about 6 weeks between fills). So, for the past two weeks I've been eating a low carb diet and exercising. I have gotten control of my hunger with the low carb eating. I seem to have nipped the yo-yo'ing in the bud and I'm finally 1 lb. down from my lowest since surgery. It has been very frustrating to say the least! I guess I'd be more overjoyed if I'd lost the 21 lbs. gradually over the past two months. But losing almost all at once, then nothing has been quite a let down. I'm not moping about it anymore. I'm working my butt off with diet and exercise and just keeping my fingers crossed until my next fill! I suppose I had a different vision in my mind of how this weight loss journey was going to be! Congrats to all of you! And keep it up!

Holly -- you are awesome! How did you know that mexican is one of my faves. I was just thinking of going to get a taco salad and eating the insides. I think I'll wait and try this recipe! :tt1: Mama -- you are doing great! Hang in there! I'm just trying to get where you are! I know it's frustrating, but you know it will come off! Darn that Eve for eating the apple. It's her fault we have a TOM! :tt2: Ellgee -- I'm with you! The bars are definitely going to be a once in a while treat. I haven't made it to ketosis yet and it must be from the caramel nut chews. Why's everything so good gotta be so bad! :tt1: I'm also happy to report that I finally got that 5 pounds off I gained the week before my fill (that didn't work). Today I'm officially down 1 new pound! I get to move my ticker! Yee-haw!!!:party:

Whoo hoo! Alright Bonnie! Way to stay strong! :party:

I am staying on plan today because I finally get the move the ticker down a pound and DAMN it feels good!!!!:party:

Great info Holly! May have something to do with my ketosis or lack thereof or maybe not, we shall see. Now, this laxative effect thing. Might be worth my inhaling the whole darn box of Atkins indulge if it'll get things moving, because this dang Miralax is for the birds! Well, not exactly. Birds don't seem to have a problem in that department. One pooped on my arm the other day at the water park as I was floating along in the lazy river! :biggrin:

So far so good! I had to take my comprehensive exams this morning for my master's. So Breakfast was on the go: B: Low Carb Slim Fast S: Atkins Caramel chocolate Peanut Nougat Protein Bar (Oh so delicious...just as good as the caramel nut chews.) L: A large glass of flavored Water with two servings of Miralax (it ain't been working for me yet!) S: Half of a chicken Ceasar salad from wendy's. D: Probably the other half...will update!

Chanel, you are so right! When my best friend had her pre-op lab tests, a very obese sista behind the desk look at her orders and said, "Girl, i know you ain't about to do what I think. Don't you know how unhealthy that is!" I told her she should have told her how unhealthy it is to be sitting around with all that extra weight minding other folks business. She said that she was so taken aback, she couldn't say anything! The nerve of some people!

Well, good luck! I hope the money fairy sends a jingle your way! I have the worst luck. I live right 2 miles from casinos and the only thing I ever leave with is a few pounds of extra food in my belly from the buffet!

Bonnie -- way to get back on track! I fell off the other day and experienced the same feeling! I've been back on for a few days and only have trace ketones showing up. I don't know what the deal is. Is there a chance that the amount of Water i drink is flushing the ketones away faster that enough can collect for a good sample? Oh and Bonnie, just as a side note. I don't want to dampen your spirits, but I have a band and I have to eat low carb as an appetite suppresant so that I won't overeat. Right now, I surely can get my binge on. As a matter of fact I ate an entire pizza about two weeks ago. I just couldn't stop and my band never said a mumbling word! Perhaps when you are banded you will be one of the lucky ones that will get some good restriction with a fill. Right now, I'm just hosting an expensive piece of plastic!

Renewed -- congrats on completion of another week! I'll finish Week 2 tomorrow. Can't wait to hear about Week 3. I don't know if I've got the kahunas!!!

Bonnie -- :redface: How funny! By the way, I have tasted the Walden Farms Creamy Bacon Ranch Dressing. It actually is good. I only have about a fourth of a bottle left. I guess that means I did more than taste it, huh? :thumbup:

I'm staying on plan today because I'm too cute to be fat! And it feels good to be on track!

Sugarbean -- congratulations! You are on your way! I felt the same way, and thought I would repeat week 1. I went ahead and tried week 2 since there were less intervals (only having to jog 6 times was a plus for me instead of what felt like a hundred in week 1.) I found that week 2 is really no more difficult than week 1. Now, week 3 is another story, I don't think I'm ready for it! :confused: Also, congratulations on your weight loss. You have done an amazing job! I bet it feels great. I notice that we are about the same weight now with about the same goal. I'm going to have to keep my eye on you for motivation! You go girl!

No ketosis yet, for me! But that's okay. I'm on a mission! And I'm still waiting for the Miralax to get things moving. Guess it's time for another dose! Congrats ell and renewed! Keep those pounds dropping! Hopefully I'll have a loss to report soon!

Oh THE BURN!!! After reluctantly dragging myself out of the house to attempt my belated day 2 of week 2, I felt as if my legs were going to give out! Ow ow ow ow ow!! The burn got progressively worse through the 4th jog interval. Then it remained constant. Thank God for the walk segments. There's a lot to be said for taking too many days off (and not exercising at all)! But, now that it's over, I hear the Rocky music again!!! And it never sounded so sweet!

I've not exercised since Monday! I officially SUCK!!!

I missed day 2 for 2 days straight. Can't recall for the life of me what happened yesterday, but this morning it was storming. I will not miss tomorrow, but now i'm behind schedule, guess day 3 will run into next week (Sunday), but since I'm planning to continue Week 2 for another week, it will be all good! Keep up the good work, everyone! By the way, Cutie, I'm also trotting along at snails pace. You are not alone!

Renewed -- my hubby just got home with my little stix. I will be using them tomorrow. Keeping my fingers crossedin my sleep! I hope to adopt the same mentality that you have! Thanks!

You are so right, Bonnie! I noticed that today while I was in CVS reading the content of EVERY bar on the shelf. I'm putting the EAS bars on my taste test list! By the way, I tried the Atkins Shakes today. I definitely drink them much slower than the Slim Fast. They are not near as sweet, but the consistency did seem to be the same to me. I didn't enjoy the chocolate goodness of the Atkins as much as my Slim Fast, so I guess that's why I didn't chug it!

Congrats on the ketosis, Renewed. I haven't purchased any stix yet, I think I'll have my hubby swing by the store tonight. I'm sure after yesterday, I'm not in any kind of ketosis. But I'm going to start monitoring. But i would like to report that today was an excellent day. I stayed on plan. Didn't snack on any of my kids' food, I didn't even smell it closely. B: McD's sausage patty and scrambled egg. S: Atkins caramel nut chew (hmm mm good! Thanks mama!) L: 10 buffalo wings, ranch, celery sticks S: Atkins Chocolate Protein Shake and 10 almonds D: Low Carb Slim Fast and 2 deviled eggs. Probably not enough real food, but I've been ripping and running all day! Everything I ate was on the go! But I did not use that as an excuse today! Thanks for the suggestions, guys! Water parking again, tomorrow!

Congrats, Holly! You go girl!!