wisconsin jen

Cherie... I am soooooo happy for you...focus on the positive... the toughest thing sometimes is that we are "hoping" that with this positive change that we have made that EVERYTHING in our life will be peaches and cream.. yeah.. not so much:cursing: The key here is to deal with those spicy moments a bit different than we used to and I think we are allll doing it pretty well... and we should be wicked proud of that.... I feel for you so much, it has just not been as smooth as you would have hoped.. but how do we work with that... my only answer would be... one step at a time... one day at a time... one tragedy at a time... It isn't the "action" that makes the person its the "reaction"....just keep resolving to do well each day and one day it will actually happen... Hang in there Cherie.. you know I am rooting fo you.... As far as myself ladies:) I have been a slow but sure loser... yes I am happy to be a loser:) I am just a pound or two from the halfway mark and my life has had a great change... I am thinner, happier, more energy, smaller clothes and more esteem...of course I wish it all came off overnight but just not seeing that happen:) My initial goal was 60 pounds in a year... and I think I am going to do it...I am making my lifelong changes rather than making this a diet... I still feel my port every time I lay on my left side and that reminds me to lay on my right side:):thumbup: I get stuff stuck and realize.. hey.. I can't eat that... I love seeing what fits in my closet now and I love giving stuff away to good will.. although I must admit that I am scared to.. I feel like I will need it again and then realize, that this band is in me forever... My steroids have gone down thank goodness and activity up... One great piece of news.. this Nov my book with Dr. Stephen Covey comes out (he wrote the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People) and then I just signed a contract last week to write a book with Dan Planchard (The One Minute Manager).. so that is a great turn, especially since I teach business all the time at the local colleges.... I love it when someone says I look good.. or when I catch myself in the mirror an am smiling.. of course there are also those glances that make me remember that I do have a ways to go too but those are fewer and far between... Howz everyone doing? Jen

I am happy to say another few pounds today....:smile: I haven't taken off nearly as fast I wanted to... but slow but sure is fine... I am feeling great.. .and as long as that scale goes down one ounce at a time.. I am fine.... The great news is that I don't feel like I have been deprived once... so that is the blessing.... If I 'diet' persay.. I think more will come off.. I might give a good month of "diet" just to jumpstart again.. but I like this lifelong change better than a temporary diet.... Thoughts anyone?

YOU LOOK GREAT!!!!!!! I can't wait to have that dramatic of a before and after....soon baby.. soon..... I am happy with my progress but I want to be ECSTATIC like you:)

Hey everyone.. just thought I would post an update photo... In about 40 pounds I will be even happier but I am pretty OK with things right now.... I did cut my head off (again:) One day I will perfect this process.....

It sounds like many of us are hitting the same plateaus... we just have to hang in there.. this is getting close to half time and we just have to regroup... I have found that I still shop with my "eyes" and not what I can physically eat so I am gradually changing that which is nice... I went camping on the 4th of July and was very pleased with my level of restraint and control.... I tried to focus on the company of my brother and sister versus the food that we were cooking on the fire:) Some of us are at pleateaus (mine is slow loss versus no loss which is a plus).. but we just have to keep going... Some are doing SUPER (thats for you Cherie Lynn:):smile: and some of us are doing good and others need to keep chugging along... we would all love to be in the lose it fast group but that is not life... so we have to take the cards we are dealt and work with it to the best of our ability...I am going back to my early diet of soup in the morning and chicken salad in the afternoon.... We can do this everyone... keep up the great positive thoughts... On a positive side.. as of this morning I lost 7 inches off the hips since Jan 26.. so I feel great about that... for the first time, I am not deleting every picture when I go out with the kids.... Speaking of that.. Here we are at the ball park yesterday...I am happy to say that I cannot see that double chin in this picture:) AWESOME FUN!!!

I just went to the doc today ... The great news.. just shy of 5 months I am down 39 pounds... so I am happy.. that is about 8 pounds a month and that is something I can live with.... my goal for the year is 80 pounds so I am doing well... I got another 1/2 cc... so 7 cc in a 11 cc band....I am going to get that extra pound off this weekend so I can top the big 4-0 number... wow.. I just can't believe it.. I did a random inches check and found that I have lost about 5-1/2 to 6 inches off of the hips... wayyyyy cool in my opinion...down 4 sizes total since January....and actually starting to give some clothes away:):bored: LOVE IT... keep it up everyone.... Cherie Lynn.. I am right behind you girl:).... keep up that loss:)

Tx Cherie.. we are our own best cheerleaders:w00t: 55 pounds.. that is SOOOO incredible.. I am so envious... but I will get there too.. I am a slow loser now but not really since this is the most weight that I took off in 5 months and kept it off....so I am fine with slow.. I go for my 4th fill on Friday... it won't be much I know, but it will be nice to get it topped off:) I am still waiting to top over the 40 lbs... any day now:):eek: I am starting to look at different clothes.. I am still gravitating to the "womens plus size" but finding that the regular section has my size now.. so that it way cool... I too have the esphagitis issues.. I had my follow up Upper GI and they found three ulcers in my esophagus... so.. at the end of July I go back for a status check... I adjusted "when" I take medicine in hopes that is the only adjustment I have to make... Luckily they aren't bad so that is nice... but it does suck going back every 8 weeks to get the throat scoped... I think I am going to do a mini goal for 1 Aug and then 1 Sep....it will help me focus.... I am at 223 now.. so I am shooting for 210 for 1 Aug and then 199 for 1 Sep....I am gong to put all of my focus into it ... I have not done that up to now.. I just have reduced the amount of food I eat so I am pretty happy with that result....now that my Lupus and Fibro and easing up a bit I am going to get out there more and do "intentional" excercse versus the busy life I live with the three kids and everything.. I am going to walk three times a week for 30-45 minutes and then some light muscle stuff....it is time.....:smile2: Hang in there everyone.. this is OUR summer of transformation.... Cherie.. I am so happy for your loss.. congrats girl.. you need that boost of success for sure... we all love hearing about it... Jen

I am soooo happy for you Cherie.... that is a HUGE milestone.. I can't wait to get there... (just a few pounds away for the "50" mark)... I have to admit one of my motivators.. I will wear my clothes from January just because they are so baggy now:):frown: I like to see the baggy clothes, it makes me feel good to know they are too big (and they make for good mowing the lawn clothes:) My daughter who is 15 is now even saying I need to get some new shirts (I love my tshirts and sweatpants) because my baggy clothes are not doing me justice... to have my 15 year old daughter say that is pretty huge.. she will be the first to admit when I need to lose a few "LBS"... I do have the supply of jeans over the years and keep moving one at a time to the "good will" pile.. every few days I try on the ones that were tight last week hoping they will fit this week.. sometimes it works, sometimes the buttons get closer and sometimes it is a reminder to look at my eating habits... Is anyone else still wearing their baggy clothes? And why.. why do you still wear them....? Good work everyone... Jennifer:thumbup:

It worked... woot woot.. learned something new... Now.. I should have probably done my hair:):tongue2: I have a ways to go.. but I am pretty satisfied thus far....

You are gorgeous.. you have to be thrilled at the progress.. imagine in 41 more pounds.... A few weeks ago I was at a 37 pound loss so I am hoping I topped 40 LBS by now.. but will wait to get to the doc to get weighed... I was doing so great last month that I even cancelled a fill appointment... (they won't do one if I lose 10 pounds in a month.. they don't want me to lose too fast which I think is just fine)... This month I am keeping it though.. I continue to have weird episodes with food.. yesterday was eggs... maybe I took too big of bites.. don't know.. but it shut me down for a while:) I have a photo Album Jen's Progress I think... But here is a before and the most current about a month ago... I hope you can see the photos.. I have no idea how to put them in so I did two attachments.. We will see when I post it...:tongue2:

This is so awesome.. it sounds like we are all right on target... I too went from 18 to 14 since Jan 26:):thumbup: LOVE IT.... Yesterday I didn't iron my normal skirts for teaching and had to throw on my 16's.... the fun NSV was that I could get it on and off without unzipping and tugging over the hips.. annnnnddd I had to roll the top so they would fall down when I walked...:) Now I am also putting stuff to the side for goodwill.. the only problem, I really like some of my skirts so now I am flirting with the idea of do I get new ones or get these altered.... I like this problem....:biggrin: I will tell you that I do have to focus on cooking my proteins ahead of time so they are ready to eat fast when I am on the run.. like my chicken.. cook it up and keep it in the fridge for quick protein food. I have tried those protein shots and they are not too taskty so I think I have to force myself to drink them... Keep posting everyone.. you are motivating me... Jennifer

OK>... Time for an update:) I am happy.. I am sooooo happy with this band....I am happy to say that the weight is definitely coming off... more slowly than I want but am happy that it is forever....:crying: So far... down 32 pounds... I am so very excited... I love going to the doctor now... I love my new eating habits... I love it all.... I am almost to the point where I will hold off getting any more fills.. I have an appointment in two weeks and will make a decision the week before... I am almost at that "sweet spot"....the just right feeling.... How is everyone else doing? Jennifer

Hi Gang... I have been away for a couple of weeks too.. with good things happening.. I don't know how much weight I lost since my last "current" because I don't get on the scale.. I have a doc appointment on the 26th for a third fill so I will know then... however, a NSV... my pants and skirts are getting longer:):thumbup: I have found a need for some belts in the closet... the weight loss isn't huge but it is noticeable and clothes are getting rotated and I am wearing things I couldn't wear in two years...so that is great:) I have had a few 'stuck' moments.. or slow going through.. or , "oh my gosh that has to come up for me to feel better".... everytime I have one of those situations I am glad actually... it reminds me to not eat something, eat slower, or eat better.....so my Buddy Aid (my band name:) is helping me when I forget to help myself... Hang in there everyone.. keep those updates coming.. this is a changing year for all of us and I love seeing the success stories... Jen

OK... NSV's thus far... This morning.. I am a 1/4 way to my goal and 1/2 way to my first mini goal I am gradually putting away one piece of clothes to never wear again in the goodwill box.... I am gradually pulling out of the closet a few clothes I haven't been able to wear in a while.... What are yours?

I would go so far to say that things I eat in the morning I cannot eat at night... But I go through the same thing... wondering what will work today....so I have lots of Soup.. just in case... I am finding the mushies are still the best.. or the other night I had some really moist pot roast... It is pitiful how much I eat... compared to what I used to.. according to the plate I should have lost a 100 pounds already:) I often find myself still making a normal plate and then putting it in tupperware when I realize I can only eat a little bit... which reminds me.. I have to get more tupperware because it is ALLLL in the fridge:):smilielol5: Funny the new problems we are having.. but I would rather have tupperware problems than binging problems on the best mashed potatoes ever:):cursing: I made five pounds of potatos which for my family of four would last two meals... yah... they are all in tupperware:):thumbup: next time.. two pounds:):rant: Hang in there everyone... Jennifer

OK Gang.. Just had my second fill and IT IS WORKING!!!!! everytime I get a fill I have to learn to eat again.. what will work.. what won't work:) sometimes the hard way... I get full fast.. rather I find that at a certain point.. I CANT eat anymore... it sits there and I feel it.... I had chicken salad on Friday.. the first two tablespoons were fine.. the second two.. I didn't realize until it was already down and sitting there like a lump... I am grateful for that though.. It makes me "think" about how and what I am eating.. just since last week I am cutting certain food out... Like before this fill I could eat bread.. slowly.. now.. not at all...soup and mushy is my friend... anything else has to have concentration... This is the best tool I ever had.. in the last two weeks I only lost two pounds because the restriction was not there... now.. it is working so I suspect the next two weeks will be a good showing... However, I am fine with two pounds in two weeks.. as long as it is in the right direction.. I am fine with that... I love reading how everyone is doing... keep it up... I always need some great help.. being a single mom.. the support structure just isn't there.... Thanks everyone... Jennifer

I go through phases of goals.. like sprints... sometimes I can manage the two pounds or so a week.. then I am off the wagon... Then.. I get back on the wagon and lose some more... For me I am trying to make small lifelong changes... I am trying to approach this different than everything else I have done... I have avoided the scale because I will become obsessed... I record my weight when I go to the doc each time...I can "feel" the weightloss though.. some days are when I "feel" smaller.. on those days I do a measurement. I use my hips as a guide...I know that with every inchloss that I am losing about ten pounds... so I get happy knowing the measurement is going down... it is a weird tool... but it works for me... I also have the skirt... I try on the same skirt about every four or five days...as it gets looser I feel better... So for my advice.. I am focusing on inches and the way clothes fit...that is how I am judging my success... And oh.. the photos.. take photos every week or two.. you will not regret seeing your success... always compare your latest photo with your first... sometimes you can't tell the difference between last week and this week.. but you can tell a difference between day 1 and week 6.... I hope that helps:):laugh:

Cherie Speaking of insurance... I looked at all of my bills... ok.. ready for this...my out of pocket total.. start to finish....with deductibles.. cost share...everything....$1495 I am happy about that.. now.. the bill wasn't as much as yours... wow.. 70K.....my was about 30K for the hospital and 6k for the doc.. so 36k for those two elements.. now my insurance, Tricare, has a lower approved amount of payment.. so the amount paid is way lower than that... But all in all.. I am very happy about this....THANK GOD the money part is over and paid for.. now I don't have to worry about that... Keep us posted Cherie when you get yours resolved.. I think others may have a similiar experience... HANG IN THERE EVERYONE!!

It sounds like we are all on target for 6-8 weeks... I am 22 pounds down and am excited...even posted pictures today... that was a hurdle in its own right... But.. I am excited with each weigh in.... as long as one more pound is lost.. well I feel better.... Congrats everyone.. let's keep it going... Jennifer