kareyquilts

Leeforlove1: Congratulations on your new band and a new found exercise. It will only get better.

Mimin: Way to go on the bull ride, girl! I love how brave you were! It's nice to let lose and have some fun sometimes!

Thanks Mimin! I am down 1.5 pounds. Maybe the evil platueau has ended!:clap2:

Here are some before and half-way pictures. When I look at these pictures I can see that I'm making progress. I just wish it were faster! Oh well, I did to be thankful for where I've come from and the path that I'm on. That's a picture of my little 8 year. Isn't she a cutey? [/url]

[ Okay, I'm not very good at resizing images, etc. This will give you some idea. When I look at these pictures I guess I see that I have come a long ways in 7.5 months. I just want to keep making progress. This is my little girl, Felicity. She just turned 8 (I was 45 when we adopted her). Isn't she a cutey! Well, someday, I send that final after picture.

You're in trouble, emotionally, physically, spiritually and self image wise. Get some help!

Tann: Thanks for the encouragement. I need it right now!

Morning Funeral: Thanks for the noodle tip. Glad you're doing so well! How exciting to be having a little girl! Tann: You're looking great! I am frustrated too. I went to my new fill doctor and met with a new nutritionist and exercise physiologist. I have been stalled in my weight loss and at a loss as to what to do. I had my resting metabolic rate tested and it tested at 2100 calories burned at rest. I should be losing weight right and left on a 1200 calorie a day diet. The doctor gave me a small fill and told be to up my calories to 1400 calories a day and to stop exercising 2 times a day. Crazy huh? I never thought I'd hear those words! I am starting to panic because of this platueau and adding calories seems counter-intutitive. I guess I will try it for a couple weeks and see what happens. I'm glad everyone is doing relatively well.

April: Welcome back! We've all been wondering how you were doing. So glad that your band is okay. I think that everyone with the band does soul searching, before and after getting it. Your weight loss is really good, especially with all the complications that you've had. Personally, I'm thinking that I'm going to try and stop obsessing about my weight and get on with my life. Living all the band rules and exercising, but just trying to put it all into perspective. I wish you the best. Glad you're back! Mimin: You look freaky fantastic! I hope you can enjoy your sucess. Way to go!

Tami- Thanks for exercise advise. I just started doing the elliptical and can handle it pretty good. I think I might try a group weight class. I have been doing the bowflex and like weight training. I'm also going to get the "Body Bugg" in a few weeks. I think it will be very motivating. I see the nutrionist tomorrow and hope that she will have some words of wisdom. I meet my new doctor (old one left town) on Wednesday and may get a fill. We will see. Scales didn't move this week, but I have to say that I wasn't very good on Saturday or Sunday== using Mother's Day as an excuse. Though I did do an extra session of weight lifting, elliptical and water aerobics to make up for the key lime pie. I am getting frustrated and I am hungry. I am increasing my exercise, but I need more. I feel like I've been on a diet since September and I'm a little burned out. Even though I know that these are good life style habits and I'm happy about all that, I just don't like feeling hungry. I guess I've whined long enough.

Puddin: Why are you being so self destructive? I hope you are getting some counseling, because you are on the losing end of your behavior. Please get some distractions in your life. Are you still going to do the big marathon thing in June? Are you doing in service work? You need to be what you want to attract! I wish you the best.

Shar: Hang in there. I felt pretty crappy after my surgery. The gas pain and shoulder pain were the pits. It will get better every day. Congratulations on your choice, you're going to be happy with your decision. Best wishes!

Congratulations, Denise! Way to go! Proud of you. Keep up the good work!

Crabcake: Welcome to bandland! I hope that everything continues to go well for you. You're in for a wonderful experience, learning and losing. Congratulations!

Tami: I am so proud of you! Way to go! What a great accomplishment. I'm going to change up what I'm doing. How hard is the bike class? Do you wear padded shorts so your bottom doesn't hurt? Could you do it the first time that you went? I'm just wondering if I could do it. I handle water aerobics well, it's probably getting to easy. I guess that I need to get over my fear of going to a personal trainer and just do it! Also, on your diet, do you count protien, carbs and calories and if you do, how do they break down for you? Thanks, for the help. I think it's helpful to learn from some one who is successful. Again, congratulations!

Good luck, CBlancha9! I'm about to join the slow losers club. Getting really frustrated. I keep going back and forth with the same 2 pounds for the last month! I would really like to know more about the metabolic resting test. I asked my doctor about that and he said I shouldn't get it until I'm at my goal weight. Doesn't make sense to me.

I need some support. I am finding it more and more difficult to lose weight. I am still keeping ;my calories at 1200 a day and exercising 5 times a week. I love water aerobics, but I'm thinking that maybe I need to try something different. I'm nervous to do anything else, but I might have too. I'm also doing weights a couple times a week and think that I'll step that up. I'm just getting tired. I feel that I'm trying to force my will on to a body that doesn't want to budge. Any suggestions? I'm thinking about a high protien diet or ordering all my food through nutri=system, etc. Not sure what to do. I need some help!

You guys are all doing great! I had a scare a few weeks ago, I woke up with the whole left side of body numb. I went to water aerobics that morning and I could hard lift the weights with my left side. I came home and called the doctor and ended up seeing a neurologist and getting a bunch of tests and MRI's. They thought I had a stroke, a brain tumor or MS. Thankfully, the stroke and tumor have been eliminated. I could still have MS, but hopefully not. I am getting my strength back. I got the go ahead to start exercising again this week. I have been going to water aerobics and walking. I also finally lost some weight. Four pounds this week. I think that the platueau is over! Yeah! I'm alive, hopefully healthy and I can do this!

I love this thread! You gals are funny! BJean: This week I have lost 4 pounds, so I hope that the platueau is over. I will probably only maintain next week, but we will see. One thing that I noticed was that I was probably getting more calories than I thought. Like going to Olive Garden and having a bowl of pasta e fagoli soup and 1 breadstick. I told you on the September thread that I came home and looked up the calorie count. I was blown away. 140 calories for 1 breadstick and 588 calories for the bowl of soup. I had been traveling a bit and eating out and even though I thought I was making good decisions (small portions, no desserts) I think that there are a lot of hidden calories in food when you eat out. This week I went back to water aerobics (after my health scare) and lifting weights and walking. The exercise along with more careful attention to my calorie intake has made the difference. I also think that my body was ready to get back into the weight loss mode. I had hit a set point, my body hasn't weighed less than this in at least 5 years. Another thing that I'm wondering is, how should I put this? I think that I looked at myself and thought that wow I look so much better than I did and I was happy with how I was looking. Now, I'm use to my new body (it does take some adjustment time) and now I can see that yes, there is still a lot of room for improvement. I'm looking and not hating my body, but just realizing that it's time to get working again, not give up and get to my goal. I didn't go through all this to just make it to the overweight category. I'm not sure if I expressed what I want to but I think I needed the platueau time, even though I didn't want it and now I'm ready for the next big push. I'm really enjoying water aerobics and all exercise is getting easier. We will just have to share our journey, failures and succesess!

Julie: Congratulations! Wow! Wow! Wow! What an exciting time for you. It's so fun to see what you have accomplished! Way to go!

Mimin: I'm impressed that your dedicated enough to work out at midnight! Way to go!

My port was placed near my belly button. I know that some ports are higher. I would talk with your surgeon.

I too had an early hysterectomy at age 37. I was on HRT until last year. Now I am on prescription progestrin cream. It helps the hot flashes. My doctor said that I probably had metabolic syndrome and hormones problelms for many years. They seem to be leveling out. It seems that my weight loss has really slowed and I'm getting very frustrated. I guess that I am going to have to get a personal trainer. It just seems like so much bother and expense and time! I want to lose 40 more pounds. I may go on a high protien diet for a while and see if that shakes things up a bit. GRRR!

Hang in there, Georgia!