OH Juli

Okay, I'm with you! I'm running intervals three times a week, running 3 miles each time. On my other days I'm strength training with an additional 30 minutes of cardio such as the ellpitical trainer. I will only take one recovery day. I'm also tracking calories and drinking my Water like I did when I first started this process. Woo Hoo!

Good Monday morning Marchies! Do you realize we are only a month away from March?! Well I did and it got me re-motivated! For the last three days I've been acting like I'm new at this. I've been tracking every bight, drinking 8 glasses of water, upped my cardio, reduced my calorie intake... and I'm seeing success. I've been plateaued for so long, and it has everything to do with resting on my success that I'm not surprised at the immediate results. However, the plan is to keep stringent until after the anniversary. Gwen, I'm making peace with my skin. It's a challenge because it's not pretty. I'm focusing on how good I look with my clothes on and how much better I feel. I have to say the skin is the only negative to this whole process but with the right perspective it's certainly something I can live with.

TKT- Welcome! Listen to you, going through the last meal syndrome again and again. We all do it. But the good news is you'll still eat nearly everything you eat now, just WAY WAY less of it. So don't think you won't be enjoying the flavors of Mexican cooking, you will! And you'll still lose weight. Come and post here often. We all were starting out once, just like you.

I'll find you and follow!!! Thanks!

You know, most trainers are going to be psyched you are up for training. They want to motivate you and help you learn the skills you'll need to be successful. But they are people with different personalities too. So if you are paying real money interview the person to make sure you mesh well. They are working for you! And last I checked fat people money was the same as skinny people money. They should be lucky to have you. Now go, get thee to a trainer!

not a single regret. The saggy skin is the only negative, but it beat very full, very large skin. If that makes sense?

Wow Mick, that's very cool. What kind of biking are you looking to do out of doors? Many of us started on hybrids or mountain bikes and have moved toward road biking. Cross training is great. They say swimming is the best to help regulate your breathing. I can't seem to want to swim, but I do bike and run now. I never thought that would happen. Welcome to the bycyling thread.

Kissmygrits, I didn't get my first fill until 6 months after getting banded because I had plenty restriction. We, my surgeon and I, thought save the fills for when I needed them. There is a finite amount of space. I've had two since. As for what gives me grief, mostly it's rice, and hard cooked egg. Dry chicken can hurt too.

It is quiet. I think our enthusiasm for bycyling is temporarily frozen. HP is in school, D isn't posting as often, TX has other obligations. So yeah we've been more quiet.... It will pick up again I'm sure.

We miss you too. Chat when you can.

ZZ, I feel you about hating the before pictures. But they do show ones progress and yours has been fantastic. I have a way before shot of me and my two sisters...They are dressed in white and me in red between them...I simply look giant. Yeah, I need to dredge that one up to keep me motivated. Okay, my bycyling friends, I'm commiting to breaking this life sucking plateau I've been on. I'm going to be running intervals on my running days, adding cardio to my strength days, dropping my calories to 1000 daily, drinking 1/2 gallon of water a day and taking my vitamins like a good girl. I'm also no longer eating work food. Just food from home. Wish me luck. My goal is to keep my head down and work of some of this weight for the next two months. I'll come up for air in March. XO

I've just decided it time to work hard, like I'm new at this, again. I thought I was losing around 5 pounds a month but it's even slower than that now if I look at my stats. So I'm going to try to charge things on all levels. I'm going to add massive cardio, pack all my meals, track every bight of food and drink 1/2 gallon of Water a day. I've rested on the -100 mark but I have my band anniversary coming up in March and I really want to be -100 from my surgery day. Here's to making significant changes to my approach. Juli

congrats sue!!!!

TX, Where you been, girl?

Sue Your stats are impressive. You must be very motivated indeed! I'm looking at trying to get to 190 by my band anniversary which is a stretch goal, considering that's 17 pounds in 6 weeks!!! But I've been hanging out at this weight for a while so I'm going to focus and get it done. Also, I'm hoping seeing the renewed success on the scales will help me feel better about the skin issue. Thanks everyone for your kind words.

My periods have always been rather simple affairs however they were not regular. Now they happen with clock work. My sex drive is out of control. It's always been pretty strong, but now it's even more so.

I have to second the "don't worry about what other people think" thread. Ms. Manners would say they were out of line to question you regardless of what you eat and order. And the reality of it is most people don't give a fig about what other people eat, do, think. But it that doesn't work, just push your food around, make conversations, pick at your taco with a fork. But going back to not letting people comment....a coworker has a saying, it's a bit crass but it has come in handy a few times and now I just need to say the last bit... "What I eat, you don't shit, so don't worry about what's on my plate." And that's usually reserved for my SO who can't stand the sight of me eating eggs over easy all squished up. "don't worry about it" shuts off the commentary.

I cycle long distances pretty regularly. I am not one who has my band adjusted super tightly...but it's reasonable to assume he'll be able to eat between 1000-1500 calories a day. He probably burns 2000-2500...that's how one loses the weight, the differences between the two. However, there's plenty of stored energy in his body if he is 150 overweight. I do eat more on the days I exercise heavily, but that's a few hundred calories more, not a thousand more. Good luck to you and your family.

Thanks Laura, That's really what I need to do. Eye on the prize and not allowing momentary imagery get in the way of my long term goals. My insurance will cover the paniculectomy (sp) but the rest is going to be paid by me. It's only money or some such thing. Thanks,

That pot is going to break off the wall. I'd let someone know. If not on you it will break on someone else and that's not good.

Hi, I'm not a chef but I've been a small restaurant/bakery manager, baker, cook and now I run a cafeteria. When I made excuses for being heavy it was because I work with food. But then I have a heavy friend who can't fry and egg and she manages to find food to eat. So the issue became not proximity to food but how I deal with it. I love to cook stuff for others that I'd never cook for myself, but the beauty part of the band is you can have a taste and be okay with that. You can't gorge yourself and if you are mindful you're not going to make poor choice after choice. The upside of being in the industry is you already have a head start in understanding nutrition and how to cook foods that meet the requirements and won't taste horrible. I'm not a fancy cook, but I have transitioned to better quality foods and even started learning all about wines. It's a shift in focus but fills that need to experience food deeply. I don't know if that makes sense, but now a glass of wine does what appetizers, salad and dessert did...but that's more about going out to eat. BTW, I'm in school to get my MBA and I'm sure I'll be in the food biz as I've been at it for 19 years. My goal however is to get out of the kitchen where food is served and more into the inner business, manufacturing workings. Because even with everything I said above there are still times where I have to chant the mantra, "don't eat the cookie, don't eat the cookie, don't eat the damn cookie." There are some challenges but they are surmountable.

Good attitude BG. and great yous of missppelled wordz. JC, sorry to hear that you are chomping at the bit to be get moving, but you know you need to follow doctor's orders.

you know and I'm amazed that I've not been flamed. But I try to stay out of that mess. Makes me think of that prolific poster... Any you are a loser. A weight loser! Who's the dork?

ZZ Look at you! What great cheek bones you have! You look fantastic. BG, You'll knock em dead. You know you will. And how the hell did I get to the point of having over 2000 posts on this site?

Tell her that her having opnions about your medical health is inappropriate and you will thank her to keep them to herself. Only when you pay her for her professional medical advice can she give it and since she's not a doctor it's not going to happen. Then go to her supervisor and say she's off the mark and you're going to pursue legal action if you don't get an apology. She's creating a hostile work environment and that's not acceptable. It's discriminatory to boot.