riley4183

Yeah I can't believe it either! I thought I would have to be at 160 to hit size 10, but here I am @ 175 and my 12's are too big. Well, big enough that I dry them on "high" and then I'm tugging them up after 30 minutes of wearing them. New work blazer (hand-me-down) is a size 10 too, great fit. Size 10 birthday clothes that I bought myself I am wearing today, although it's become clear that I will NOT make my birthday weight goal (first mini-goal I will have missed!) The only 10's that are NOT fitting are my business suits, the ones with the short skirts? It's the PANNUS! They don't fit because of my extra tummy skin hanging down :-( With jeans and heavier slacks, it gets held in better . . . not so much with the skirts LOL. Does anyone know about the plastic surgery dept. there in Richmond? Do they do PS after major weight loss? I am going to a free seminar at the PS department here, but there's no after-weight-loss specialty here . . . plus I want this damned pokey-port changed out when I have my pannus removed, it is REALLY protruding - like 2 inches straight out - and I'm starting to knock it on stuff and bruise it! Dr. B likes it but I DON'T

OH! btw . . . I am officially a size 10 now :-) Pretty happy about that!!!

OH! Tamra that's the right way to look at it, you go girl! You CAN get this done, then you will have lots of time for exercise!! Tina, last night I went to bed at 7:30! I try to stay up until 9:30 because tuesdays and thursdays I have to pick my son up from school then, but most nights I don't make it that far!! It makes me feel really old, but much easier in the AMs!

Donna we miss you, but do stay where she needs you a while longer . . you need to be there right now . . . all will be well with us! Thanks for checking in sweets :-) B - pear; soy slender latter L - Quorn naked cutlet; pomodoro sauce; parmesan L2 - small garden salad with chick peas; Nugo nutrition bar D - salad with egg and cottage cheese; bowl of cereal I was doing great until that bowl of cereal! I didn't need the Nugo bar, either . . . . . worked 7-4 today, then went for a LONG hike we did 8 miles so I got in 12 miles for the day! I may change my schedule again to work 7-4 regular so I can excercise when I get home - I SO miss my morning walks, but it is pitch black out until 6:30 here now, and I have to be back home getting ready by then!! Boo-hoo poos me . . . Tina good to finally hear from you! I don't like your new job :-( Nicole how are you babe? Pat I will call you Saturday AM! You will find me tho; we all wear name tage and I sit with the loud Kaiser group (!) I will probably be wearing sweats and I look just like my pic :-)

Oh of course, I will be 48 this month!! And have have been peri-M for years - but I'm fightin' it :-)

Oh yes, Divas they are LaChica! You will LOVE these ladies - they're the bomb :-) OK Just had something weird - my second TOM this month. I am going to start calling it TOW!! The last one did not come with water weight loss and emotional changes, and this one so far does have the emotional changes, so maybe this is the real one and the last one was a red herring? I don't know!! Last one was about 10 days early tho . . I think Mirena has me a bit messed up, but SO much better than those awful, super-heavy periods that I used to have. Well if this is the "real" TOM, that explains the laziness and carb-loading yesterday! Cheeze-its and snickers bars, jeez what was I thinking?!? That's not like me . . . . OK I walked 2 miles during work today so far, will do another 2 at lunch . . . . YOU GO JES!! Get that bridge girl, FEEL THE BURN!! I need a good hill-hike, going to text a skinny g-friend to go walk armstrong woods after work today I think - hella hill!! Hurts my knees going down tho, so wil.l have to pop by the house for my knee brace first. Getting old SUCKS . . . . But getting thin ROCKS!!!

Hi Reggie hunny! I think we talked about a Vacaville meeting on a Saturday this month? OK girls, must get back on track! I borrowed $100 from 1 son so I could buy food to feed the other son . . . do you know how lousy that makes me feel as a mom???!?? Sign of our times I know . . . son #2 is like, why did you money not last until the end of the month, mom? Uhm . . .reduced hours, pay cut, mandatory time off, and health care costs increase??? Huh maybe??? While all my bills went up?? Hush it and give me the cash kid . . . . I feel like crap. Up 3 lbs. of the 5 that I had lost since my last fill, but hoping that's mostly liver-fat since I've been gouring on carbs. Went to Safeway this AM and have some healthy foods in my arsenal now, so will be back on track today. OK girls, let's follow Reggie's lead and log our food every day again! It really helps. I got nuthin but a black half-caff americano this morning so ot starting yet. Plan to have a pear and my strawberries and a decaf soy slender latte for breakfast, then egg beaters with cheese for lunch A, then a quorn naked cutlet with pomodoro for lunch B, then hopefully just a salad for dinner. Yes I am back to 4 small meals a day . . . .sorry Robin! I think I need another fill, but Dr. B. says not until December, so I am going to try & tough it out . . . .I don't want to go back to the stuck episodes. Wake up folks!

just ate a small snickers, followed by a bag of cheez-its. Unfortunately, what with being overdrawn and all, my diet this week is going to be limited to what I can get on "IOU"" in the lunchroom! BAD news. But oh well, maybe it will shock my system into losing again?!?! No chance. I'm a goner this week - at least it's smaller quantities. A year ago it would have been a large sized snickers and 2 bags of cheeze-its :-)

Oh! Reggie so glad to see you back, I have missed you girl! You know we all seem to have our funks. I mean, I think that I was/have been/am realistic about the band and the changes that is has/will make in my life, but somehow I still find myself sort of dissapointed that I STILL have problems, even tho I'm not fat anymore - ya know? Money problems, family problems, lonliness problems, work/layoff problems, etc . . . the only problems that the band fixed were the health ones, you know?? I mean, those are the most important, but someohow I guess I just imagined that ALL things would be easier if I was not so obese, and now . . not so much. It just gets me down sometimes is all. STILL gets me down I should say. And now bad things are happening to my good girls! I do not like it, not at all. THANK GOD I had my support group meeting tonight, and most of those folks are doing great (!) I have learned how important it is to surround ourselves with POSITIVE influences :-) Maria Dr. Baggs is 1000% right! Tell him that you have us on;line of course, but do find a local support group - it makes all the diff :-) First some prayers for my girls, then going to bed. Not a lick of exercise today, can you believe it?? I will probably gain 4 from not walking, but was in training all day - grant training, I have been told that I need to fund my own position for next year . . . . long, long day but not like Tina's. You hang in there girlfriend! You too Nicole. Love you girls!!

Tamra - I am so, so sorry to hear this! Do know that the under the economic recovery act, gov't has to pay 65% of the cost of COBRA for the 1st year. Here's an info link Cobra Rules Economic Stimulus 2009 Cobra Economic Recovery And once you have your band, Kaiser covers your fills, etc. for life - everything but the labs. So pay for COBRA at the reduced rate for 6 months, get your band & 6 mo labwork, and thren you can drop it!! Best luck - I hopoe you don't give up

Hey Pat, did you get the email for the support group meeting Saturday? I have to drive my son to his test, but hopefully I can drop him off there then go to the meeting and wait for his call . . . . either way you need to go for sure! It is SO inspirational :-)

YAY Jes! Sounds perfect :thumbup: Pammie my antidepressant had same side effect! It would not bother me right now either, but I was married then and it bothered both of us!!

Hi Tamra, glad you came back on! You'll get back on, don't you worry. RATS! I just hate it that so many bad things are happening to so many of my good girls!!:thumbup:

Right Heather, it will be better in the AM!! You love school. Write your paper(!) and don't make any decisions when you are exhausted! Why CAN'T you have it all? At the same time?? You are one of the smartest, most dynamic women that I have ever met and you CAN do this. Write and sleep! this is for the rest of your life girl, you can't make it stop so you can catch up. I'm pulling for you :thumbup:

Yup I just did all my entries on Calorie Counter Database - Free Online Diet Program, and sure enough I'm at 1,309 calories. I logged my exercise too so I still have a deficit of over 1,000 calories today, but still! A couple of months ago I was eating between 900 and 1100 every day, now I am sneaking over 1200 even though I'm not physically hungry . . . not good. OH well, I guess I am just adjusting! Tina . . . . I am having withdrawals!!! Where you???

Hi Donna! Oh good sweetie, thanks for checking in we were all worried when we didn't hear from you for so long . . . prayers and blessings for you & your mom. Thanks for your email, unfort my bratty youngest did not pass the math portion of the CHSPE last time, and they only give it one more time this year - next Saturday. So I have to drive his brattiness, then wait for him with his flippant little attitude . . . he better pass it this time, because he lied to his work and said he passed the first time - faked a certificate. I told him I will turn him in AND kick him out of the house . . . . he's getting kicked out at the end of november when he is 18 anyways, this one needs some tough love. ANYways . . .I can't make the walk!!! Darn it, I jogged a 5K this morning and I am SO up for it! Did not realize the kids testing was on the same day. My last sacrifice for this one, he's wearin' me out . . . . I just ate too much. Veggie meatballs with pomodoro sauce and italian cheese blend- I ate the full serving, which is 6 meatballs and probably 1/2 cup of sauce and 1/3 cup of cheese. 10 minutes after drinking a soy latte!!! Anybody else eating over 1200 cals? Can't feel the band at all today - maybe because I drank enough fluids?? it only seems to act up when I am rather dehydrated. Time to go shower & tuck in with the lastest John Grisham :-)

GOODness my buns are hurting fro jogging already! I thought we were supposed to push ourselves?!? Maybe I will go do some Thigh Trainer to spread the pain around more, then some resistence bands on the ol' arms . . . . jeez I do all cardio and no strength, when I do any strength it hurts SOMEwhere! Argh. Walked to the storew again, but then stopped by Round Table on my way back for lunch . . . fortunately they see me in there being good so often that they automatically ring me up fo a salad, so I avoided giving in to carbs . . .except as I was just closing my salad container, out they come with fresh, warm breadsticks - OH! They smelled so good! So I pretended that they were just a 'Fresh Warm Italian Breadstick'-scented Candle, you know Party Lite or some such. Ha! But got out of there unscathed. I swear to goodness, the more I lose the weirder I get! More and more little tricks to play on myself to keep from falling back into old eating patterns. OK I have a bunvh of cleaning to do, and a bunch more clothes to go through. I wish I had $$ cause I sure do need some clothes!!!:frown:

Morning Candra! Yeah diabetes sucks. His worst complication was when he got so low that he almost died, also hospitalized for 4 days then AND for 2 of those days he did not even recognize me! OMG. This was only 2 years ago . . . . he still suffers some short-term memory loss and memorizing drug actions & brand names in pharmacy tech school is really hard on him, but he is doing really well and will graduate (except for his externship) in December! woo-hoo. He's a great kid, and we have always been close, due in a large way to his diabetes. He's off playing softballs with some of his buddies he used to work with at Round Table right now. Yes there is some hard stuff in my life, but when I look at the big pic I am truly blessed! I'm on my AWS day off, jogged(!) some this AM and am going to walk to the store now - veggie meatballs, and cheese. Why I could not remember them while I was there this morning getting melon and berries, I don't know! More walking :-)

OH shopping at Kohl's works even better than walking! Retail therapy :-)

Candra - he has been hospitalized 3 times, once in the first stages of a diabetic coma. BUT that was after 3 days with his dad, who could not take care of him properly (a whole nuther story - we don't even know where dad is now so we don't worry about that anymore!) And he was just a little guy then! Poor little pumpkin, he was SO SICK when dad brought him home from visitation! I took him right to the hospital and he (we) spent the next 5 days there. THAT was scary, horrible. But it takes several days out out-of-control blood sugars & ketones to get to the coma state; if he can't get his BGs and ketones down in 24 hours these days we go in for some IV liquids, outpatient-style. He likes the Kaiser here; he gets all the Jello he wants :-) and they are always great about letting me stay if they keep him over, they give him a private room and me one of those awful chairs that folds into a "bed." And no, he would never go for that baby monitor! He does leave his door open so I can check on him, which I do a couple of times a night if he has been sick - that's usually when he gets ketones. Or a malfuntion with his insulin pump, obviously! Right now I need to go see how he's doing because the erratic blood sugars gave him a migraine - you know how bad those are! Nicole how you doing girl? Tina? Donna? Chris? Pammie I hope you are feeling better today! Walking HELPS the blahs, I promise!! :-)

Nicole, oh honey I wish I wasn't so far away! Maybe you can go stay with your sis for a while or something. Or Candra! That's her baby after all :smile: Seriously - you call me if you want to talk or whatever . . . I feel so darned far away!!!

Nicole, you me and Jes are gonna go OUT!!!!! We are wild girls LOL . . . . Pam passion tea is sugar-free if you just added the splenda and didn't get it mixed with lemonade. My fave! Candra . . . it uses lithium energizer AAAs, any other battery voids the warranty . . .sometimes they last 6 months, sometimes only 2 weeks - I have no idea why. The alarm still goes off even when the battery is dead; he just slept through it. He has been having horrid insomnia and had taken an ambien . . . . I wish his doc would figure out what is going on with that instead of giving him another drug. OK I have to get to the annual "apple party" out in sebastopol . . . . we harvest, slice and press into juice . . . and eat & drink! Band don't fail me now :smile:

He's good now - but overcompensated for the high blood glucone, too much insulin and got down to 47 last night!! And of course I had no sugar-y stuff in the house to help that - thank the Lord his brother has an energy drink stashed in the fridge drawer. Diabetes sucks! We have been doing this since he was 7 . . poor little guy. he's 21 now! Mommy will worry forever! I don't want him to move out unless he has a roomate who can help him . . . yucko. Been up most of the night; going to bed now :smile:

These are SO great you guys, exactly what I was looking for! Keep them coming! LOL Nicole, you DID lose 3 Auds! I thought of a few more: * Painful, cracked heels * Urinary incontenence (sp?) * Fright of fall/winter (SADD) * Elastic waistbands * My tolerance level (no longer put up with others' crap) * My fear of cameras

Holy moley, 3 lbs. in the last 10 days! Maybe I will make my mini-goal . . . I can't believe I am losing at this rate again when I'm only 20 from goal. WOOT! Must be the excercise - and the FILL yay. SO I definately have restriction now!! Ihad an episode yesterday, not PBing just sliming that lasted like 20 minutes! I was in the office getting ready to walk to Starbucks on am break with my friend Melinda (my friend I brought to Mimi's that one time), and I took a bite of cantaloupe and apparently did not chew well?? Who knows, it was both morning and my TOM, and a week after my last fill, so I was as tight as I could get I guess! We walked to starbucks which is almost a mile away, and I had to SPIT every 20 seconds!! OMG I just wanted it to END - OW it hurt. I wish I did PB actually, as that would have relieved my pain - walking, arms over head, jumping up and down, pounding on my chest . . . walking down a busy street for almost a mile. It finally ended right before I got there! Thank God Melinda knows ALL about lap-bands and my surgery! She was great about it. I thought I would be swollen for the rest of the day, but no - no other problems at all. Got back from Starbucks and ate the rest of my cantaloupe! So who knows? Other than that, no issues . . I get full faster than I ever have, and I can still eat a lot of stuff that's less dense (like salad) but very little of the dense proteins (like Quorn or eggs or even almonds). So it's all good! Might be heading out to the ER soon, my son has ketoacidosis because his insulin pump batteries went dead last night and the alarm did not wake him until I heard it when I went downstairs this mroning - blood glucose is almost 400, but at least it's down from the almost 600 that it was this morning. Oh being a mommy is so much fun! So unless he is down below 300 with less-than-moderate ketones by 3 he's got to go get on an IV for a few hours . . . . we have been through this so many times, he thinks Kaiser is his second home!!