VABandster

I like the idea of us each setting our own challenge, since we are all different, but keeping accountable for it in this group! I'd be willing to keep tabs on people if you want...just PM me your Goal and then maybe each Monday or Friday we can each report in as to our progress?? Let me know what you think....so if your goal is to exercise 20 days out of the month, you'd report that you exercised X number of days that week or if you're goal is to lose 10 pounds and you lost 2 pounds that week...etc....

Ok, glad to know I'm not the only one ready to throw the scale out the window!! :rose:

YES!!! I am not getting my fill until the 19th, so I think my goal for the month will still be 10 pounds....i figure if I can lose 5 before my fill and 5 after, I'll be one happy camper!! Should we have someone keeping track of everyones goals and maybe a once a week check in so we can see how we're all doing??

Hey ladies!! We're bracing for the winter storm here in VA...and my kids are praying for a snow day tomorrow! Luckily my boss has already told me to plan on working from home, so I'm a happy camper!! At least with that...... On the weight issues.....all I can say is UGH!!! My scale wont BUDGE!!! I am fighting w/the same 4 pounds (depends on the day) and know that I'm eating more than I should be. I don't get another fill for 18 more days....I'm hanging on by a thread.....

Gerbera, Glad to hear your fill under fluro went well!!! Jillrn...THANKS for that receipe! I guess now I just need to go buy some caulliflower and make this!! :rose: I started a FEBRUARY Thread (December Bandsters in February), so lets start posting over there! Here is the thread: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/december-bandsters-february-t29029.html?p=381659#post381659

My best friend was telling me that her mom made her mashed Caulliflower (tastes just like mashed potatoes, but is way more healthy)....I want to get the receipe for that for sure! IF anyone has it, please post here! Thanks! I gotta tell you guys I've been having Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal for breakfast and man,.....are my bowels rockin and rollin now!! I highly recommend it if you need to....ehem.....clean out those pipes!

Gerbera......I went and read those threads you were talking about and BOY...talk about confusing!!! I still don't really know how one is supposed to tell the difference between needing a fill and a pouch dialation!! But...i am definitely going to be more careful about how much I eat at each meal! Thanks for raising the awareness....I am going to ask my Dr. about it when I go for my next fill and see what he says. If I remember correctly, he said it was difficult to do and it happened over a long period of time....

I will post the link tomorrow, once I start the new thread

NAT...I totally get what you're saying about the guy! I know if it were me I'd feel like I had to be all "Holier than Thou" w/him and I want to be able to let loose and not have to worry if I say Shit or Damn! Sorry to hear he's such an angel! STEPH...Holy CRAP Woman! You are xcountry skiing, working out and walking.....you must be Muscle Woman by now! Claudia...Happy Belated B.day!! I've been very busy this week w/my new job so haven't been able to post in a few days. Ok, going to catch up on Heros before AI comes on w/my kids! TTY all later!!

Gerbera, sorry to hear about your not-so-fill!! Sounds very painful! :-( although the upside is that when you get the fill done under fluro, you should probably end up w/some good restriction!! (Unlike me!) KAY....I'm struggling right along with you!!! My hunger is back and it feels like my stomach is too! I cant eat any and everything, so It is by sheer willpower I have not eaten the kitchen sink at this point! UGH....I still have 19 more days til my next fill!! OK...so tomorrow I will start a December Bandsters in February Thread! Look for it!

NAT...I'm screwing off at work w/ya!! Hmmmm.....cute, younger coworker!!! Go For it!! He said he can keep a secret!! lmao As for the Ex.....he's probably just one of those 'nice guys' who is being thoughtful by sending cards, but did any of them say he wanted to see you?? If not, then just cherish the memory and move on....I HATE when guys aren't ready for "committment"! I'm dating a guy (separated for almost 2 yrs now, but not legally divorced) who is just like that too!! Very frustrating...but at this point, I'm waiting til I get to be one hot mama before I put myself "out there" again, so he's my "Meantime" man.... I sure hope you're right about the water!! When I drink....I am now drinking just wine and/or Martinis...both of which I had a lot of this weekend! Oh yeah, and I also had a Mikes Hard Lemonade, but I think there must have been some fizz in it b/c it didn't sit well w/me. I also had a Vodka and Cranberry juice, b/c Cranberry juice is good for you right?? Those are just my suggestions of course...I would also have as a dessert drink anything with either Baileys or Kahlua! Yum!! BK...what is your goal going to be?? Steph...yes I got the same compliment!! IS'nt it nice our Boobs are now more noticable than our stomachs! Woo hoo!! BTW....I think you ALL are looking :flame: HOT!!!!

Hey Ladies!! Glad to hear I wasn't the only one that indulged in a little bit of :beer: this weekend!! I think most of my scale gain this weekend was just due to lack of H20 in my system. I got on the scale this AM and was only 1 pound up from last week, so hopefully I can get that back off quickly! NAT...Love the haircut!! In fact, used to have one very similar! when you go for it you'll have to post a pic of yourself so we can all see! I also agree w/Steph that you do NOT need your Ex in your life...there is someone better out there waiting for you! KAY....I totally get your struggles!! I'm the same way...and now that my restriction from my first fill is gone, I'm Sooo afraid of gaining!! But hang in there....we will get through this! That is what our fills are for!! Just keep on and the scales will keep going!! BMan..that is awesome that people noticed your weight loss!! :clap2: Steph.....wow girl!! You and those skiis are kickin butt!! Can you tell I'm loving these smilies??? LOL Ok ladies...back to work for me...lunch break is over! :ranger:

I was thinking we should post a Dec. Bandsters in Feb thread...and start a new one each month....but if the postings are going to be this far and few between, maybe we don't need to do that??

Ok....where has everyone gone?? The postings are REALLY Light these days. Is our thread unfindable?? Or is everyone just so busy out losing weight that they don't have time to post?

NAT...I don't know that we'll ever stop being so hard on ourselves re: food that we eat!! I'm trying to get back on track tomorrow after a weekend of way too much alcohol and food w/my best friend! We had a blast (except for the groping that occured at the dance club last night by the short dude!) but it's time to get serious again!! I guess its a good thing we don't live so close to each other! LOL I am going to set my VDAY goal to be down another 10 pounds, although honestly, I'd be happy to be down just 5!! The good thing was that my BF (gotta love her!) Told me that my ass was getting smaller and that my boobs are now more noticable b/c my stomach is shrinking!! Leave it to my BF To make me feel good! LOL!

Mollie....yes, I did get the big band (VG) and my first fill was only 1.65...so I'm sure that's why I have NO restriction right now!!! Do you live in CO?? Mark....you'll have to let me know how things go w/Dr. Brinkley.....cause i'm pretty sure that after this next fill, especially if I need one again w/in a month, I'm going to go local, so I want to hear what you think of her and how it all goes!! How is your recovery going?? Are you feeling back to normal yet or still having pain in the port area?

NAT...sounds like you've been feeling the same way I have lately about food!! Although you probably still have more restriction than I do!! I am going to go buy an elliptical this week and start exercising....I've been a lazy slug about it and need to get that ball rolling!!! Walking the dog every day doesn't cut it anymore! I am a bit irregular too!!! I guess I need to try Stephs idea of shredded wheat....maybe that'll help get these few pounds I've gained back off again! I try to keep blaming it on being 'stopped up', but I'm sure most of it is the salt and alcohol I've consumed this weekend with my best friend in town visiting!! STEPH...way to go on the xcountry skiiing! Glad you like it! IT is a great workout!! I wish we had enough snow to even try to consider doing something like that! lol well, hope you guys are hanging in there.....I'm sure you're all more restricted than I am at this point! UGH......I can't wait for the next fill already!!!

OFFER...yeah, it could be the salt cause I can be sensitive to I think, although this weekend has been even worse b/c my best friend was in town and we've done more drinking in 2 nights than I've probably done in the last 6 months combined!! So now I'm afraid I've had Waaay too many empty calories, not to mention the fact that my first fill seems to have completely dissapeared! :-( So tomorrow....I get back on track and try to lose whatever the scale says I've gained the 'old fasioned way' until I go for my next fill on the 19th!! KABOOM and BANDIVA....Congrats to you both on the great weight loss!!!!

Mark, thanks for the name of your fill Dr!! I think I may switch to her after this next fill just b/c like you said, it is not exactly convenient to keep going back and forth to CO all the time, (even though it is nice to see my sister so much)....especially if this 10cc band of mine needs a lot more tweaking!! But, we'll see how the 2nd fill goes w/Dr. K....I think I am going to tell him to take the more agressive approach of filling me til I can't get Water down....then taking a little bit out from there, and hope that that does the trick! Does Dr. Brinkley do fills under fluro if you ask? Is there an added cost to that do you know?? I"m also waiting to hear back from another Band dr. who is right down the street from where I work (Dr. Pinnar in Reston), to see if he would take me or not. Thanks for the Advice!! Sheila.....sounds like your experience was Exactly like mine!!! Glad to hear things went so well!! Let us know when you're home safe and sound!

Wow....for $1500 you could fly back and forth to CO a few times! But, I guess if you needed a fill every couple of weeks...it'd be worth it! I am going to go to Dr. K for my 2nd fill, and I'm just hoping that will last me for a while! If it doesnt, then I'm definitely going to find a local Dr. who will hopefully not charge me an arm and a leg!!

KW....have you had it done that way?? Did you panic at all when the water was blocked and not going down?? I just don't want to freak out when it happens!

I know!! I didn't know what it was supposed to feel like either! and I hear these people saying they get filled so tight that water doesn't go through, then the Dr. takes out a little bit....so I think that's the approach I need to try! I mean, I would definitely feel if waters not passing at all...right?? Sorry to hear you haven't lost any since we saw each other! I think I've only lost about 4-5 pounds since then myself.....and although in my Head I knew that the first fill may not last long, its still frustrating!! OK...I made my appt. for the 19th of Feb. W/Dr. K......Its gonna be a quickie trip! I'm flying in on sunday, leaving on Mon so I don't have to take any days off from my new job.....and HOPING That this 2nd Fill works!!!!! :pray: If I can just lose a few pounds in between now and then I'd be

Yeah, there are plenty of places I can go for an unfill if I needed one....I guess when he does the "water trick" I just need to make sure its as tight as it can be... I think part of my frustration is that the scale is NOT moving...in fact it went up 3 pounds in the past 2 days! :-( I'm starting to freak out a little!

Ok Gang....need a little advice here. I called Dr. Ks office trying to make an appt. for my 2nd fill and I wanted to get it done under Fluro. Well, Marilyn just called me back and said he won't do it unless there is a reason for it (i.e. a suspected problem). So...I'm set to have another fill w/him on Feb. 19th the way I had the first one filled. I'm kind of bummed about it. I'm also having a hard time finding flights to CO that are affordable. So I'm trying to decide if I should switch to a local Doc and just start getting my fills here. For those of you out of towners that are using Dr. K.....are you going back to him at all or starting w/fills locally?? I had kind of hoped to keep going to Dr. K cause i really like him and want the consistency, but I just don't know at this point if its going to be worth it $wise if I have to keep going back so often! Help, advice, suggestions from the peanut gallery welcome....Thanks!

Hey NAT...I just realized you and I started at the same wight and had our surgerys 1 day apart....and we both got the VG Band!! You're doing wayyyy better than I am though!! I'm only down to 275 (was 272 a few days ago)....You ROCK Girl!! How old are your kiddos?? I'm a single working Mom too, but my boys are with their Dad every other week (we share custody 50/50) and my boys are older so I can leave them at home alone and don't need sitters anymore!