niecyrenee

Good afternoon everyone! What a day this has been! :omg: I wanted to send everyone a quick hey and encourage everyone to stay strong this week. I did well last week but was not so good over the weekend and the scale reflected so. I have to kick it up this week! I want to make my 100 lbs. lost this month. I know that if I stay strong, I will reach it! :biggrin1: I'm taking tomorrow off so hopefully that will result in a lot more time to exercise and not a lot more time to munch. :paranoid Congrats everyone on your losses!! :clap2: That is fantastic!!!

Well, here's my morning update....:update: I was good yesterday as far as my eating but since we had church last night, I got no exercise in. Therefore, my weight loss for yesterday was on .6! :omg: I figured as least a pound but any lose is great!! Who am I to complain? 6.6 lbs. in 3 days is amazing!! :peace: I am trying to decide whether to stay on m/e for today as well or do lc for the rest of the week and weekend and start m/e again on Monday. It really wouldn't be that difficult for me to do m/e today, it's just laziness on my part that has me considering the other. I have to go have my blood drawn this morning so they can check my cholesterol. I was taken off my cholesterol meds awhile back and they want to see how things are going. The last time I was at the doc, he took me down to 1/2 of a 5 mg blood pressure med per day and said they would probably be able to take me off it altogether now!! :whoo: We are having our birthday lunch at work today and we are having a BBQ. We had some nice, warm days so we planned a BBQ and now it's cold and rainy out. :cry Ugh! Oh well, we have a gazebo to stand under to grill and we'll just eat indoors. Since I can't eat this morning and I could have a bunless hamburger or hotdog at lunch, I probably should do m/e...what to do? Oh the decisions!

A break every now and again is a good thing. We can easily get burned out. I agree with you, it gets so tiring thinking every minute of everyday about what to eat, what not to eat, how to exercise, etc. :bored There are those days/times when I just have to set back and just focus on me, not my weight. When Monday comes, you will be going great guns again! :bananapowerslide:Allow yourself some time to rest. So true, so true!! Back when I was just a lurker, I would see Teresita's post and be so inspired! :love: We have the best group here in Bootcamp!

Josette--I'm glad things are looking up! Congrats on the weight loss!!! Turner--:thankyou:I am walking on air! It's almost too good to believe! M/e may not be easy, but it certainly works for me so I am willing to do it. Good luck as you start back on it tomorrow. It would be awesome if we could all meet!! It would be great to give a big hug to everyone who has helped me so much on my journey! I guess I'll have to settle for sending cyber hugs.:hug: WARNING: Teresita and I will be joining the 100 lb. lost club soon. Beware as there will be loud screaming, dancing and crying. Don't say you haven't been warned. :biggrin1:

Teresita, we are both going to slide into the 100 lb. club soon! You have been knocking those pounds out left and right lately! Way to go!!!

Welcome to LBT! We are glad to have you join us! This group of people are the best! We are all here to support one another and be supported. Congrats on the weight loss so far!

Good luck tomorrow Jen! As soon as you feel up to it, let us know how you are doing. Your wonderful ride is about to begin!!

Welcome to LBT Aimee! Would I do it again? In a heartbeat!!! The band has given me my life back. I now know that I can achieve all my dreams. The band is just a tool but if you are committed to making it work, it will. I researched this for a year before dh and I were ready to take the step. The final affirmation in my mind came when I made a list of the pros and cons to having surgery versus staying like I was. After that, it was a no-brainer. Do your research and if we can help any, let us know. There are a lot of people hear at all different stages so there is sure to be someone that can answer your questions. Best of luck to you and let us know how everything is going!

Welcome Roger! The band can do a lot for you if you are willing to let it as I'm sure you are. Ask lots of questions. If you don't get them all answered or you think of others, let us know. There is a wealth of info on here and some wonderful people! I wish you the best of luck! Keep us posted on how everything is going.

Avilla--How are you doing? Haven't heard from you in a few days. Tann--You have done so fantastic! Good luck with the rest of your detox and I'm sure your discipline will counteract any weak moments you encounter. Turner--How are things going? Did you call the doc yet? For me--I know exactly what you mean. If I didn't get online at work, I would never post. :typing: I come in early and stay late and never take breaks so I classify this as my break time. I'm addicted! I seem to have way too many things demanding my attention after hours.....and I don't have kids! I don't know how you do it. Well girls, I am happy to report that m/e has once again been good to me. I lost an additional 3 lbs. yesterday!!! :woot: That is 6 lbs. for this week so far!! YIPPEE!! Tann, I am so very thankful to you for introducing m/e to me!! :huggie: When I have a good lose like this, it makes it that much easier to stick with it. I can hardly believe it but I am only 8 lbs. from 100 lbs. lost! EIGHT POUNDS!! :bounce: And only 14 lbs. from 299! :high5: It is so hard for me to believe that just 6 months ago, I weighed 405 lbs. It's like a dream and I fear that I will wake up at any minute and be back where I started at.

WOOHOO!!!!:cheer2: :whoo::wow2:Teresita, you are on fire! :flame:You are doing fantastic!!! I bet you were dancing a jig when you stepped off the scale. :dance: You inspire me! :clap2::thumb:

Turner--:hug: My heart goes out to you. Financial situations are enough to get the best of us down. You are under a great amount of stress right now. I agree with Tann, call the doctor's office. I know it's hard to think about doing but you don't know what the response will be until you try. This group is so wonderful! :love:I am glad to have a place that we can all talk openly about the things we deal with and have no one that will judge us. You all are the best!!!:first: Tann--I love the smilies too!! :biggrin1: I knew I had to commit myself to m/e this time because the last few times I have tried to do it, I have failed....miserably! :faint:I have been praying hard for the Lord to give me the strength to succeed this time. :pray: I am so weak!! We do seem to be missing quite a few. Maybe we need to seek them out.:confused: If any of you who are MIA are lurking around, post a quick message and let us know how you are doing!

Sharon--Have you tried the meat & egg thing? If so, how's it going? I hope everything is going good now.

Tann--I am so sorry you are struggling right now. I have those binges from time to time. They are so hard to break. I tell myself it'll be ok to have a bite or two because then I will stop, but I don't. Good luck on your detox. Those veggies were there right when you needed them! :peace: Turner--It's good to hear from you!! I agree, PMS is the worst! :censored: Some people talk about their bands being tight then, but mine sure isn't. It's so hard to be good. For me--I tried Herbalife years ago but it got so expensive that I couldn't continue with it. If I remember correctly (I have tried so many diets and shakes), it wasn't too bad. IMO, Amplify by GNC is the best shake. It's actually part of their Release weight loss line. I buy the Chocolate as well as the Cookies & Cream flavored smoothies. Chocolate is my fav! Add in skim milk and they are yummy! Yesterday I started on m/e and was very good. No cheating and really no temptation to. Dh is doing it with me this time so that makes it easier! I am happy to report that we both had a lose of 3 lbs. yesterday!! :lost3lbs: I am jumping for joy!:confused: I hope the weight loss continues today as well! Only 1 lb. more and I will be back where I started last week at. I'll report tomorrow. Maybe I can get dh to take some pics tonight so I can "see" my progress.

Oh yeah! I did that stupid diet along with several others that were just as ridiculous. The only thing I got out of the cabbage soup diet was a disgusting meal. :speechles Sure glad those days are over!

I have been reading reports lately that sit-ups and crunches are not what we make them out to be. They (supposed experts) say they don't work for getting rid of the tummy, so what do I do to get rid of it?!?! I'm talking the upper tummy...at least that's what I call it. The lower tummy isn't really a problem. Anyone have any exercise tips/advice for getting rid of it?

I never have tried Pilates. For my exercise I alternate things but they include things like: crunches, leg lifts, walking, spinning, dance video and using weights to tone. My stomach has gone down as I lose, just not fast enough for me (never is, is it?!). I knew there had to be something to do to target a certain area but wasn't sure what to do besides crunches. I will have to try Pilates. I have been twisting! I am going to hold off on measuring for a while though.

Happy Monday to everyone! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Mine was good as long as I don't judge it from the scale. :faint:I decided to wait until today to start m/e because I knew how difficult it would be to do this weekend with my schedule. Not a smart idea! I don't really know what happened but my scale was up a couple pounds. I really wasn't bad either. I was bored on Saturday afternoon and worked out for 2.5 hours! :omg: I lifted weights, did crunches, etc. Sometimes when I exercise a lot, my scale goes up. Seems odd to me but I felt good about what I was doing. M/e will help me shed those and more. I'm confident today! Awe, shucks. :nervous Thanks. I just try to be what everyone else here is to me. This group is wonderful! I couldn't do it without you all!

Welcome to LBT! My heart broke for you as I read your story and I felt your pain. :hug:No one understands the pain you feel emotionally as an overweight person and I often think if they had to walk one day in our shoes, they would view things totally different. We can't do anything about people's ignorance but we can change ourselves and I am excited when I meet someone who wants to take control of their lives! Getting the band has been the best thing I have ever done (outside of marrying my dh of course ). I have struggled with my weight my entire life and thought that I would never lose it. I am now down 90 lbs. and I have a hard time believing that I am doing this! I just wanted to pass on my encouragment to you and let you know that we are all here for you. LBT is full of not only knowledge, but excellent people! I wish you the best of luck on your journey and can't wait to have you join us in bandland! Keep us posted on how everything is going!!

Hey Alaine! Welcome to LBT! The band can open a whole new life to you if you are willing. I got mine in November and couldn't be happier! The weight can drain you so much emotionally and physically and can keep you from enjoying life to it's fullest. The band isn't a cure all but it is a fantastic tool! Losing weight has given my confidence quite a boost and because of that, I am much more comfortable in social settings. There are still those "inner demons" that I have to deal with but I know over time, they will diminish. Best of luck to you as you decide what path you want to take. Keep us posted!

Good luck on your upcoming surgery! The benefits of the band are worth everything you go through. I hope the rest of your pre-op diet goes well. It's not easy but it will help during and after surgery tremendously. Let us know how everything goes!

Only tell people if you are comfortable with them knowing. It is a personal decision and no one else's business. At first, I didn't want anyone to know but decided my family would know something was up so I decided to tell them but ask them to not tell anyone. Unfortunately, my family can't seem to keep their mouths closed so people found out. It wasn't such a bad thing though. I now tell openly about my surgery and for the most part, I have received only positive comments. My feelings are if I can help one person learn about lap band surgery that is in need of it, it's worth all the negative comments I may endure. Good luck to you on your journey and know that we are all here for you!

Hello Dannielle! Welcome to LBT! Research is a very important step in this journey. Make sure you go into this with as much knowledge as possible; you will be happy you did. I waited a year after going to the seminar before deciding to have the surgery because dh and I needed time to research it and think. I am very happy with the decision I made and would do it again in a heartbeat! You need to be as sure for yourself. Best of luck to you on your journey. Keep us posted on how things are going!

I have never worked in an operating room but I can tell you as far as my surgery went, I was without clothing of any kind. It never even occured to me to be disturbed by this but I know several people have talked about it. While none of us feel like exposing our larger than normal bodies to the whole world, the doctors and nurses in the operating room have seen several naked people of all sizes and I doubt they care. While it might not be easy to accept them seeing you all spread out on the table, I'll pass on to you what I shared with another concerned bandster....as many people as doctors and nurses see in the buff, I'll consider it a compliment if they decide to ogle me. :heh: Try to think of that and maybe it won't make it so difficult. Hope everything goes well!

10 more pounds and I will join the 100 lb. club! I can't wait to join you all!! I hope to be there by the end of April if not before!