FeliciaLevy75

The swimming is under-reported because I was actually in there and moving around for HOURS... but I try to be conservative when calculating it so I can go for the most/best I can. 7/1 - 30 mins walking 7/2 - 30 mins walking + 20 mins elliptical 7/3 - 60 mins walking + 20 mins swimming 7/4 - 3 hours swimming (2 hours games and leisure, 1 hour laps, treading, and resistance) 7/5 - Zip. Zero. Nada. :tt1: 7/6 - 1 hour swimming, all laps, treading, and resistance 7/7 - 30 mins walking + ________________ (tonight!) :tt1:

Write down what you eat and what fitness you do everyday. BE HONEST. Look at it after a few days, a week, whatever will give you the best picture. Then... multiply your weight x 10. That is approximately (not a scientist or doctor, just research) your maintenance calories. Example, if you weigh 200lbs, you need 2000 calories per day to maintain. Once you have that figured out... Take in fewer calories & work out regularly. Rules my doc gives me: EAT ONLY AT MEALTIMES (BR, L, DI). EAT ONLY 4OZ OF food. FOCUS ON LEAN Protein AND VEGGIES. DON'T EAT AROUND THE BAND. DON'T DRINK YOUR CALORIES. DRINK YOUR Water DRINK YOUR WATER DRINK YOUR WATER 500 calories less a day/burned extra per day adds up to 3500 calories in a week. 3500 cals is a pound. A pound a week by cutting out and burning 500 calories per day. If you are hungry all the time, call your doc and see if you have any options. If there are no medical options, then find a way to distract yourself when you feel hungry when it's not a mealtime.

Sending good thoughts and good vibes! Be well, Joan, we're all rooting for you!

Anyone in Vegas going through this is welcome!

FBs can be good, great, but the whole emotion thing gets in the way. I decided a while ago that I didn't have time for emotion. Don't get me wrong, I love my friends and we wouldn't be FB if weren't friends, but the whole lovey-dovey, where will this go, yada yada yada needs to be left behind. I was happily divorced two years ago after being with the same person half my life... and I was only 31 at the time. Since then, I have focused on school, work, and now my health. I have learned more about me in past couple of years than my entire life combined, and I love that! FBs help fill in the blanks without the emotional hassle. Hmmm, I derailed a bit, but I guess my point is to enjoy what you have right now, focus on you, and the rest will get there when you need it to. Happy 4th!!

CONGRATULATIONS! I definitely credit my ability to stay focused on recording my food and activities, and I further give credit to TDP. I tried FitDay, I tried a little notebook, but TDP is the most convenient and most visual way to really see what I am doing.

Day three (and four, five, six) are swimming! Spending a long weekend in Phoenix by a friend's pool. With this heat, I am still trying to walk, but swimming is much more my style when I am melting! =) So far, so good!

Trying to get back in to Low Carb. I was doing really well, and then not so well. I am not eating breads or rice or refined carbs that I am aware of. I do have yogurt most mornings and have read mixed messages on the carb count in yogurt. Generally, I think I do OK, then I see the carb count at the end of the day and it is always high - even without the yogurt. Trying to find some ideas this weekend to get back on track.

It's not the answer you want, so you attack the other posters? Sorry folks, but no one should feel they need to apologize for offending anyone. HEAL FIRST, the message is simple. Successful bandsters are giving advice because you, ahem, posted and asked for it. If you are going to post about cheating, breaking rules, and generally doing things your "own way," you have to expect someone to say something contrary to what you want to hear. Hell, the first post even says, "bad, I know." If you already know it's bad, you know you shouldn't be doing it... yes? What are you expecting by posting? If you don't plan on doing it they way the doctor (or successful bandsters) describe, then don't post looking for commiseration.

So far, so good! 30 mins of walking yesterday and 30 mins today plus 20 on the elliptical. Working up to an hour of each will take me a little while, but it's worth it!

Gold is definitely worth it. I use a BlackBerry as well, and it's really great!

The extra calories is for maintaining the goal you have set in the system. I admit, I ignore the calculation of exercise calories subtracted from food calories. I understand why it does it, it's calculating calories to keep to the goal so if you were trying to maintain (or even gain; blasphemy, I know), you could use it to make up the difference. Second, I don't use DP to calculate my everyday activities (showering, walking around as part of my daily need to move around the office or shopping, etc.). I only track activities specific to working out. I understand that your body burns calories with the slightest activities (sleeping for 83 minutes will burn off my Soup for lunch)... but I don't want to get hung up on data that, IMHO, doesn't really count. So, I track everything I eat, but only the exercise I do for fitness reasons.

I'll keep that in mind, Cherie! We're doing the tapas lounge next Sunday, but if anyone wants to meet early and walk around the Fashion Show Mall, I am up for that!

Anyone interested in meeting up for coffee, tea, water, lunch, dinner, etc. this weekend? I think it would be neat to meet (or say hello again) to others who are part of this community.

Yeah, they should have named it something else, IMHO. I use it for both common meals and my own recipes. I found another link for you, too. You can also add a new food to the database. Click on New Item - LIVESTRONG.COM

WOOHOO!! Yes, Dr. Teng is sponsoring the one in Nevada. I have a team made up already that is linked to his walk. If you'd like to join me, please click the link above. I would love to put together a group of Bandsters and Bandster supporters (at least one of my non-banded friends is joining me).

Awesome!!!

REMINDER! July 13 is a week from this coming Sunday! So far, it looks like me, Cadets71 and MominLV13. We'd love to have more bandsters to chat with and enjoy the day!

On Daily Plate, you would use the Create a Meal feature. On my screen, it's on the right side of the page. It lets you put the stuff together into a package called a "meal" and then you can choose that meal in the future in stead of each item individually.

Welcome MMarg!! Glad to have you!

I do webhosting and sites as a hobby. If you need space or help, let me know. I am happy to provide upload space to anyone who needs it.

From the IRS publication on ALLOWED expenses: Weight-Loss Program You can include in medical expenses amounts you pay to lose weight if it is a treatment for a specific disease diagnosed by a physician (such as obesity, hypertension, or heart disease). [Question: Do you need a PCP to prescribe it or can your bariatic surgeon prescribe it?] This includes fees you pay for membership in a weight reduction group and attendance at periodic meetings. You cannot include membership dues in a gym, health club, or spa as medical expenses, but you can include separate fees charged there for weight loss activities. You cannot include the cost of diet food or beverages in medical expenses because the diet food and beverages substitute for what is normally consumed to satisfy nutritional needs. You can include the cost of special food in medical expenses only if: The food does not satisfy normal nutritional needs, The food alleviates or treats an illness, and The need for the food is substantiated by a physician. The amount you can include in medical expenses is limited to the amount by which the cost of the special food exceeds the cost of a normal diet. See also Weight-Loss Program under What Expenses Are Not Includible, later.

GO MARY!!! :smile2: I go to the doc tomorrow. I am not weighing myself until then. My home scale loves me, but I need to focus on the doc's scale for my "official" WL in their files. hee hee

The band works if you do. It won't stop you from eating, it won't stop your body from absorbing calories and fat and other nutrients. You can eat whatever you want. Eating high calorie, fatty, or otherwise unhealthy foods is something you do to yourself; the band doesn't care what you eat, but you should. It won't change your habits for you; restriction doesn't stop emotional or unconscious eating. You can eat around the band and that is not the band's fault, it's yours. If you snack, that's on you, not the band. It won't lock the refrigerator, do your exercise for you, or make you feel better when you are feeling low. It will remind you that you can only eat so much at a time, then it's up to you to stop eating and not start again until meal time. You have to do all these things. You have to be ready. You have to make the changes and be prepared, no matter how tough it is, and use the band as a guide, a weapon in your arsenal. The band is meant to complement your new behaviors, not create them for you. Success is your responsibility, not the responsibility of the band. If you aren't sure you are ready, find someone to talk to until you are ready. You need to commit to this, with all confidence. If you can do that, you are golden.

Lisa! This is great, thank you for sharing. Based on your example, I have started a team in Las Vegas. Good luck, and thanks for being an inspiration!