LoseIt!

Another 7.6 pounds down! Yeehaw! I was concerned that my weight loss would slow down a lot after last month's lower (not bad, just lower than normal) loss. But I seemed to have bounced back which makes me VERY happy. Too reach my next goal of 199 pounds, I need to lose 12 pounds. I am going to aggressively push to reach that by Thanksgiving. I can do it!! I worked out 681 minutes in September which works out to an average of 22.7 minutes per day. I can live with that! I also finished my first 5K which is an amazing accomplishment for me!! I lost 7 inches this month. Most notably, I lost another .75 inches from EACH thigh. I totally believe that my thighs are as small as they have ever been as an adult. I can't imagine how they will look by Christmas!! Also, I lost 1.5 inches off my bust and 2 inches off my hips. Since January, I have lost 13.50 inches off my waist and 13 inches off my hips. Incredible! I was totally muffin-topping out of size 3 Lane Bryant jeans (that's around 22/24W) at the time of surgery and now I fit perfectly into a lovely Misses' size 16. What a super fun and happy day!! I just can't envision what future months will bring. Thank you all for your continued support! I will catch up with you all on Monday after my trip to NOLA! ~~ Laizzes les bons temps rouler! ~~

Welcome to Band Land! Make sure you pay particular attention to nutrition and hydration since you know you already have difficulties. You can do it!

You go girl!!! That is awesome.

Whoa, that sounds horrific!! I'm so glad that everything corrected itself and you are okay!

First of all, WE MISSED YOU!! It has been forever, but I'm so glad that things are going well. Second, I don't know if I'm more jealous of Disney World or Wicked! Third, did I mention that we missed you? Fourth, congrats on the smaller pants! The world is just a wee bit brighter in smaller pants. Hope you can visit more often, we sure do love to hear from you!!

I was overfilled for the first time on my last fill. I probably shouldn't have gotten one, but I guess you live and learn. They got me immediately for an unfill of .5cc and I will go back in on 10/11 and get some more in now that my body has settled down. I won't get all of it put back in, but maybe .3cc. I've found my body can be sensitive to even the smallest fill! It is interesting to me that your doctor sent you a bill. My first year of fills is covered too, but that includes all aftercare...fills & unfills. Once I get through my free period, I will have to pay for fills, but unfills within 7 days due to an overfill are free. I think it is a big fat bummer that you have to pay for it!! I would call them and ask why. If you really do have to pay for it, I hope you can get insurance to cover it!! Good luck!

Thanks for all the feedback yesterday! Two weeks from Saturday, I will have the cut. So, stay tuned, I'm sure there will be pics by October 18th!! I watched the Biggest Loser last night. I know that it is the most realistic approach to weight loss seeing that we wouldn't have time to work out 8-10 hours a day. But I just love seeing what people can do. The first thing that struck me is that I'm not sure if I could do a Biggest Loser work out! I work out a lot, but what they were doing was amazing. I was so proud of myself for jogging on a 5.0 incline yesterday for 30 seconds. She was having them at a 7.0 incline for longer!! I realize they are puking and I don't push myself to that point, but it is still amazing what you can do if someone is pushing you and you are receptive. Second thing that struck me was when one of the guys had a bit of a breakdown and he questioned how he had gotten there. That really struck home for me. I grew up "the fat girl." Looking at the pictures from my past, I wasn't that big. Even my dad said to me that when he looks back at old pictures he doesn't remember me being that small. I think part of it was that I weigh heavy. I was roughly the same size as some of my friends, but I weighed a good 20-30 pounds more than they did. That remains true today. My mom & I are wearing the same size clothes (for the most part), but she weighs over 40 pounds less than I do. So I think that we had a mindset from the beginning that I was FAT, when maybe I wasn't really. Then I think we (I) became so focused on it. I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting in 4th grade. At the time, I just wanted to be smaller, but in retrospect, there were probably better ways to focus my attention. I was on NutriSystem in high school and I consistently snuck food. My parents found out and (rightly so) got angry for wasting money. I just felt like a big, fat failure. I remember going to fast food restaurants with my family and my brother ordered french fries, but I couldn't. Now I wonder if I really wasn't allowed to, or if I just felt too guilty (fat) to order them. I honestly do not know. When I got to college, I ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted it. However, my Freshman year I didn't have a car and I walked all over the place, including to my job which was several blocks away from campus. My sophomore year I had a car, but by December I had moved into the Sorority quad which in my case meant a 4th floor walk up! I think walking those 3 flights of stairs multiple times a day kept me in check through the end of my junior year. My senior year I moved off campus. I was only a block away from where I was before, but it was on the first floor and instead of walking to classes, I drove. It was ridiculous and I'm quite sure that I gained 40-50 pounds that year. I entered college around 185 and I left college around 250. I fluctuated between 200 and 260 for 13 years until I decided I had enough. I have been to Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig. I have worked out, taken pills prescribed by the doctor and over the counter. I have done Atkins and South Beach. But nothing worked or it did for a little while until I couldn't stay at it. In November 2009 I weighed a whopping 285 pounds. I weighed more that my (hefty) dad. It was hard at the time to see how I got there, but now it doesn't matter. I have a tool that actually works for me! I am working hard, but I'm successful! I have another 6-12 months of weight loss to go, but I'm not at all intimidated by that. That's a first! For the first time, I'm in control! And it feels darn good. I'm over 70 pounds down since January and I fully expect to be under 200 by Thanksgiving! I would like to have lost 100 pounds by 1/31/10. Even if I don't make every goal, I'm going in the right direction and THAT is enough to keep me moving!! Anyway, I was a little "rambly" today, but The Biggest Loser will do that for me. Have a great day, y'all!!

Two weeks from Saturday I'm getting my hair cut and I think I want to go with a whole new style. I have been growing it long for over a year now and I think I need something new for my new body. I have used a virtual hairstyler and I want to get your feedback. See the attached pictures and let me know what you think!! The first long bob is the most "me". It is what I will probably get unless I'm convinced otherwise. :smile: I think the short flippy 'do makes me look a little too matronly (or soccor mom anyway). Plus, I think it might be too high maintanence. The one labeled "Choppy" is my favorite short cut and then one I think I might be able to be talked into. It seems super fun! The "short crazy" one will be the one my stylist wants to do!! I'm an accountant, I don't know if I could keep it that "messy". There is another long bob picture in there that is slightly different...again, because that is the kind of cut I usually go for. Let me know what you think! I will try to keep a thick skin... :ohmy: Now, onto other things. I was another full pound up on the scale today. That is a stumper. However, I don't "feel" like I'm gaining and Jax tells me I shouldn't be...so, I'm going to continue to be patient. Today is a running day (lunch workout, 2 miles with 2 sets of hils and speed drills) which always makes for a good weigh in the next morning. We will see if that remains true. I'm not wearing anything new today, but I feel GREAT!! I have on an Old Navy wool grey skirt with black leggings and grey short boots. I have on a black T-shirt and a denim jacket on top. It feels very current without being TOO trendy. I would have preferred tights instead of leggings, but there is no way I would have been able to get tights on after working out at lunch!! SIDE NOTE: I just had an awesome moment. I was in my colleague's office and I noticed a couple of our staff members looking in but didn't think much of it. As I walked out, one of them (a girl who has been GREAT support this year) said that she pulled the other guy out of his cubicle to look at me. She said that she turned the corner and saw me in the office and didn't know who I was. When she realized it, she had to get someone else to see. ::Pause:: ::Blink, Blink:: SQUEEEEEEE!!!!!!! ::Deep breath:: Now back to work! Happy day everyone!!

Good luck! I look forward to hearing what you think when you go through it for yourself. You are definitely prepared, so I feel sure you will feel it is a piece of cake!

I concur with everyone else. You are absolutely right and don't let anyone tell you differently! I'm so sorry for all of your pain and that just adds insult to injury. We have your back, girlfriend!

Mine is no solids the day of and the day after. Same as fool4, their explanation is that they don't want anything in the pouch when they do the adjustment. I've found that the diet restrictions AFTER are necessary for me because I can't typically eat solids for a few days even if I wanted to!

Yeah, I've always wondered why the girls have to wear a sports bra at the beginning, but when they lose enough weight they graduate to a much more flattering work out top. You are probably right as sad as that is.

From what I can tell, Allie has something more akin to "stomach stapling" than the Band. Jessica and Burgandy are still Bandsters remaining!

You are doing a GREAT job! Keep up the good work!

My last straw was going to a Mavericks game with some friends and being absolutely miserable because I didn't really fit in the space I was supposed to. It was awful! I didn't have an incident with an airplane seatbelt extender until after I had my surgery schedule but wow, that was AWFUL!

Ha! Humor is a good way to get through it!! Congrats on 199 and good luck!

That totally stinks! I hope you will be able to work it out with them soon. Sending good thoughts your way!

Ugh! That does not sound fun at all. I hope you get to feeling better very soon!

Excellent & fun news!!

Welcome to the other side, Maria!! Keep in mind that it will probably be a little frustrating at first, but stick with it and it is ALL worth it in the end. Plus, we are here for you every step of the way!!

This morning I weighed in for my weekly Monday official weight and I was the exact same weight I was this time last week. Normally, I would be SO UPSET! But not today. Today, I know that I most likely lost over a pound this week, but I'm still dealing with the havoc put upon my body from being sick. Last week, I "lost" 4.4 pounds according to the scale, but I know if reality, it was more like 2.4. This week it says ZERO, but I know it is more like 2. So, PFFFFFFFFFFFFT to you scale! I have the power now!! And now that I'm back on track, things will be back to normal. I win. I won't be able to reach my goal of being 210 before my trip to NOLA, but it was an aggressive one. I have 8 1/2 weeks to lose 13.20 pounds to reach my Thanksgiving goal. That one I'm determined to reach!!! I had a nice relaxing weekend before my whirlwind October begins. Despite the rain on Saturday, it cleared up enough for us to have a couple good hours at the drag races in Ennis. Boy, those cars are LOUD! Sunday, after I spent an hour at church with my stomach growling virtually the ENTIRE TIME (I really need a fill...), we went to breakfast at the Original Pancake House. I had some egg concoction. It was good, but I think I prefer IHOP. Then I went bargain jeans shopping. At Kohl's, I bought a pair of SIZE 14s!!! They are Gloria Vanderbilt and they tend to run big, but STILL...SIZE 14! No "W" after it or anything! :smile: Then I went to Cato. When I was bigger, I LOVED the way their jeans fit me. Plus, they are cheap! I got to shop on the SKINNY side of Cato this time which was a big, huge stinking deal! I bought a pair of the Classics and a pair of skinny leg (heh.) in size 16. I think I am a true 16 right now. Not bad, but I will be REALLY excited when I am a true 14. (Don't get me started how I'm going to feel when I'm a true 12, because that has NEVER happened in my adult life!!!!) Lot's of exclamation points this morning. Hmmm. or Hmmmm!!!! :ohmy: I'm not wearing any new stuff today, but I am wearing a shirt that I haven't been able to wear since 2006. Yay! I'm starting to thing about what I need to take on my trip to New Orleans this weekend. Must look sassy!! Have a great week everyone!