TamifromAL

I'd like to see those same people in a year. Tami

I have a sneaky feeling that I have a cold coming on...my eyes feel gritty, and my throat is scratchy. So, what I'm wondering is how that might affect my exercise. I typically go to the gym every day, doing a spinning class daily and strength training 2-3 days a week. Do I continue to go even with a cold? Take a OTC cold med before going? Or, take some time off? Or maybe workout at home? Is it rude to show up at the gym with obvious cold symptoms? I hate the idea of anything knocking me off track, but I also want to do what's best for my body and to be considerate of others. Any advice? Tami

Thanks, ya'll. I'm thinking now that it might just be allergies, it's certainly the season for it! But, Ariel, you reminded me of something I read recently. It said to go into the sauna (dry heat) once a week for 20" to prevent viruses. I guess it would be the same thing with a steam room, though. They said that viruses can't take the heat! I never use those facilities at my gym, because it seems kind of indulgent or something. But, hey, if it's a matter of health... Tami

Dang, I'm glad you mentioned that! I'm in the same situation as you, but have free fills until September. I was going to put off gall bladder surgery indefinitely (until more frequent/severe attacks), but with the fill situation in mind, I'd be better off getting the surgery out of the way so that I can get my re-fills for free! I've only had a few attacks. The first two or three were relatively mild. The last one was 5-6 weeks ago, and was fairly severe. It started after lunch, and lasted until dinner time or so. I was in bad enough pain that I knew that I couldn't drive myself to the hospital, so it was either wait it out or call 911. Fortunately, it passed before that was necessary. An ultrasound the next week showed the stones. I visited my bariatric surgeon a few days later, and he recommended I go ahead and have surgery. He said that something like 80% of the American population has gallstones, but once you become symptomatic, it usually goes downhill, and that eventually surgery is necessary. He added that women are more likely to go ahead and have it taken care of, whereas men usually wait until they have "the big one" that makes them regret delaying surgery! Wheetsin, what are you waiting for, girl?? You seriously need to go on and get that baby taken care of! Don't be such a "guy"! Tami

I don't know about printing out a log to keep with you, but SparkPeople.com is an awesome site that includes a nutrition tracker. You enter the foods you eat, and it calculates the amount of calories, Protein, carbs & fat. It's really easy to use. Tami

Tanya, congrats! You're moving right along! Sandra, as Dr. Oz would say, "Just do a U-turn, and get back on track." Hey, you're down 60 lbs, right? So, you've been going in the right direction! Karey, that's scary! (And I'm a poet, and know it!) I hope they figure it out soon. That's the kind of thing that would keep me up at night. I was able to avoid the chocolate when I was getting baskets ready, which is usually when I go hog wild. But, then yesterday, I walked by my daughter's basket, and my hand went on auto-pilot. Luckily, I only came away with two little foil covered eggs, so I didn't totally crash land. But, thank God the leftover lasagna from the weekend is finally gone. I had no will power what so ever when it came to the lasagna. But, at least the band kept the quantity under control! Mim, I'm so glad to hear the water finally flushed out! Wow, that must feel awesome!:clap2: Lisa, I'm so sorry about your kitty, too. Were they fighting, or just rough play? My dogs sometimes go at it and you'd think there would be blood involved, but it's just play. I could definitely see a smaller animal getting severely wounded in the middle of it. I love my fur babies, and dread the day something happens to one of them. Tami

Hi ya'll! Hope everyone had a happy Easter. I have totally lost my will power lately! We had lasagna Saturday (and some leftovers on Sun., too), honey-glazed spiral ham, and I indulged in some sugar bombs disguised as cinnamon rolls. Uggggh. On the postive side, I ate no chocolate, and I'm down a pound for the week! So, hey, I'll take my victories where I can! I'm still doing the spinning classes, 5-6 days a week, plus some strength training. But, it's like my body has decided that's the "norm" now, and I'm not dropping the weight like I did in the beginning. Of course, laying off the goodies would help! Lisa, congrats on the loss! You are literally running your butt off! That's awesome. I'm surprised, too, that the doc didn't leave in an extra .1 or .2 cc. I know the tiniest amount can make a difference when you're close to optimum restriction. Karey, sounds like you're doing very well, too! Isn't it great to have a nice drop when you get back from vacation? I used to actually dread vacations because I knew I'd blow the diet du jour, and gain several pounds. Did ya'll see on another thread where one of our September bandsters (Corey) made it to 100 lb. loss? Congrats, Corey!!! Mim, glad you're feeling more comfortable. You know, I was considering getting some work done, but now I just don't know. I worry about being knocked off my routine, especially the exercise. How is your energy level? Are you able to get active yet? Tami

Karey, where did you stay in DR? We stayed at the Riu Palace in Punta Cana for a week last June. I'm not sure I'd want to do an all-inclusive with the band, though. It tends to encourage me to drink too much, and I'm finding that alcohol has a much stronger effect on me these days! Congrats for maintaining! Tami

Hi ya'll! Mim, hope the "girls" are settling in. You look great! HopeWorks, I've never heard of any kind of Protein supplement other than liquid. I sometimes use Zoic, which is a prepared, canned liquid Protein Drink. It's got a fresher, less thick/chalky taste than some I've tried in the past. It's a little pricey, though. I think I pay $6 for 4 cans, but sometimes catch it on special. I get it at Publix. I'm down three pounds this week. Tami

We stayed at the JW Marriott, which was absolutely fabulous. The one advantage to having a hubby who is gone all the time is the frequent flyer and hotel points! Here's a pic:

:pound: Thanks! I think I did burn off some calories on the dance floor as well as in the gym. And we won't even talk about the ones I burned off in the room! :eyebrows: Tami aka "the freak"

I'm baaack! ----------- Airfare from Birmingham to Cancun = 40,000 frequent flyer points Lodging in Cancun for 7 nights = 200,000 hotel points Cerviche on the Beach = 120 pesos Avg. price for club admission w/ open bar = $40 USD (+ hangover) 7 day vacation w/ great food and NO WEIGHT GAIN = PRICELESS!!! Lapband....I'm so glad that I *can't* leave home without it! ----------- Mim, glad to hear the surgery went well! And, yep, the water weight gain is from surgery. Don't sweat it! Glad to see ya'll got a new challenge going. I started at 185, and am still there. I can't believe I didn't gain weight, but I did exercise quite a bit. Gotta run...unpacking and laundry, etc.! Tami

Oh, let's shoot for July 4. That's 15 weeks. How about 25 (or goal!) by July 4? Some of you were talking about restriction. For me, a good level of restriction is when I can drink liquids when I wake up without feeling them gurgle down, I can eat breakfast and solid foods throughout the day, but I'm satisfied by eating 1 to 1.5 c. of food per meal. I generally don't think about food during the day, but I might get hungry before meal time and have a small snack. Recently I've been having that stuck feeling more often, but I really don't think it's the fill level. I find the further out I get from a fill, the more I slack off on the "small bites/eat slowly" rules. I think I can get away with a big ol' bite, but I pay for it. But, there's no way I'd just stop eating at that point, because that usually happens on the first bite or two. I'm heading to Cancun on Sunday, so I probably won't be checking in for the next week or so. I've promised myself that I'll drink my water, exercise, and keep a food journal. I'm hoping I can keep my weight where it is now (185, down 3 this week). Mim, your surgery is next week, isn't it? Best wishes for a good surgical experience and a quick recovery. Hope everyone has a wonderful week! Tami

Ooops, you're right! They just moved to a new room. Thanks for the correction! Tami

How'd I miss this thread? Howdy, neighbors! I had my surgery (self-pay) on September 5, 2006, by Dr. Miles at MCE. He's my hero! I've lost 87 lbs, and feel awesome. We have a lap band support group meeting every 3rd Saturday, at 11am, on the third floor, Bldg 46, at Medical Center East. Although most of the participants are patients of Drs. Miles & Schmitt, others are welcome, too. I think it might be the only lap band-specific weight loss support group in the area. Ya'll come on down! Tami

I was looking at some profiles at ObesityHelp.com, and noticed several people put disclaimers on their profiles saying that their surgery was done by Dr. XXX, and that no other doctor has permission to use their pics or stories. I got the impression that some doc (or more than one) was "borrowing" pics and profile info to advertise his practice. Tami

Hi ya'll! I'm still at 188 which I reached a few days ago, which was -3 for the week. Mim, glad you like SparkPeople.com. I love that site. I used FitDay.com a few years ago, which is similar, but SparkPeople is a little easier to use, in my opinion. I showed it to my hubby this morning, and he loves it, too. And, I'm with ya on the bathing suit thing. Did you see my pic on the "Before and After" thread? Yep, I got my big ol' board shorts, and they are very comfortable. I don't know if they'll come off or not, but they're certainly fit for the water, and make a cute bathing suit cover-up, too. Best of all, they hide my horrendous thighs. Unfortunately, my bottom half does not match up with my upper half. BJean, glad you found a tip from my blog! Solid foods are *definitely* better with the band. Solid foods don't pass as quickly through the stoma, and they signal your satiety center in your brain that you've had enough to eat. And, your ability to eat solid foods is a good indication of whether you're at an appropriate fill level. If I can't eat solid foods, I'm too tight! I've been shopping and packing for Cancun. I love being able to find more things that fit and look good, but it's so hard to keep from falling into my old habit of buying anything that even comes close to fitting and not looking horrible. I actually have to be a little picky about it, or I'll end up with more than I need (and, of course, none of it will fit very long!) Hope ya'll have a great week. Tami

What I love about the band is that it gave me hope. I had lost many, many pounds over the years, only to gain every one back plus more. I'd gotten to the point where I just couldn't muster up the motivation to try anymore. The band gave me hope that if I would make that effort again, change how I eat, get more active, and lose the weight, that this time, I will hopefully keep it off. And, I believe it will. Just having it there gives me a sense of peace. I don't have to worry that one wrong step will send me spiralling off the "diet" and on the pathway back to obesity. Tami

losingjusme, thank you so much! I've watched your journey, too. You have a wonderful attitude, and the right mindset. And, I didn't make all those new habits at once. I just strive for progression! Tami

I chug it! If I'm so tight that I have to sip liquids, that's too tight for me. Tami

When are you going? I'm going down on the 18th for a week. I don't know of any special precautions, though. I cancelled my last fill appointment, because I wanted to avoid being overfilled on vacation. Tami

I'm down 85 lbs. in 26 weeks. Here's an updated pic:

There was a post on another site earlier today asking "what happens when you're at goal?" Of course, the band is still there, but what people choose to do with it varies. Some people like to keep a fairly tight band, fearing regaining their weight. Others go for a partial unfill to allow them a little more flexibility with their eating. A few go for a full unfill, expecting their new lifestyle choices to keep their weight under control. I have no idea which path I'll take. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there! But that's what's so wonderful about the band. It *is* still there, and we can choose to put it to use whenever we are ready and/or need to! Tami

Actually, I don't drink it! But, not really because of the "no drinking while eating" rule. It's because I don't like soggy cereal! I put the milk in the bowl, then sprinkle a bite or two in, eat it, repeat. When I scoop out the Cereal, I tilt the spoon so that I don't actually take in liquid milk, but only what sticks to the cereal. Does that make sense? Tami

Thanks, Karey! I feel a little like a LBT traitor, but I actually post more frequently now at ObesityHelp.com. Although I like the format of the forum better here, I like the profile/blogging capabilities at OH better. I post what I eat and things I want to remember on my profile there. You can read it here: http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/tamifromal/ But, I still feel this this group is very special to me, for the reason mentioned a couple of times recently. It's great to have a place to talk with other people at the same stage of this journey. Plus, I feel like we've gotten to know each other here, and it's the most supportive and positive group of people I've run across! Ya'll rock! :rockon: Tami