tonya66

Yay Audree for getting to the gym! I can't wait to get back to the gym. today is my 10 month Band anniversary! I am down to 167 now. So Excited! I've got to share a NSV for me. I ordered these size 11 Jr. jeans off Ebay, Well, they come in and my DH opened them before I got home, and he mumbled out loud to my daughter, "There is no way she can fit into these jeans, they look like little girls jeans". So, I come home and he showed me the jeans, and I agreed with him, that there was no way I could fit into those jeans. Anyhow, to amuse myself, I decided to try them on to see how far it would take to fit into them. Guess what, THEY FIT. I couldn't believe it. My DH was clapping his hands and saying you do not need to lose any more weight, you are skinny! LOL. It just felt good to see how small the jeans were and to actually fit into them. I also tried on a size 10 slack at the store, and they fit. I didn't buy them, I wanted to buy them, however, I'm holding off to go on a big shopping spree in January for my 1 year Band B-day. Anyhow, hope everyone has a great week and enjoy your family & friends.

I hope you don't mind me jumping in on your thread, but I wanted to recommend a book that I found very helpful. The Success Habits of Weight-Loss Surgery Patients (Paperback) by [ame=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/105-7174822-0954013?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Colleen%20M.%20Cook]Colleen M. Cook[/ame] (Author) If you can follow these habits, you WILL be successful. I just remember when I was getting the band, I was like a sponge, I wanted to hear from everyone who had the band and wanted to know what they did to lose the weight. This book was recommended to me, and I really love it. I bought mine of Ebay, so I would check there first to see if you can find it cheap. I think I paid like $5 for it and I still refer to it often. Again, sorry if I'm intruding, just wanted to share some of my tips with you guys.

Okay, since my accident, exercise has been pretty much slim pickens'. As I stated in my earlier post, my knee has really flared up again. So I go to my therapist today for my PT, and they took it easy on me because I had a lot of swelling. They ordered me off my knee all weekend. I wish I could exercise. I'm ready to start another BFL challenge, I know I can do wonders with another challenge. I really miss exercise. I feel like my life is in limbo, I know I can shed these last 20 lbs if I could only kick some butt at the gym. Its just so frustrating. I keep having setbacks with this darn knee. I'm wondering if this is going to be a life long challenge for me, will I ever be able exercise? Will I ever be the same again? I'm ready to do some dumbbell lunges, to work my booty, I'm ready to do some squats, some hard core cardio, I'm ready to sweat. I just feel so much better about myself when I have exercised. Okay, just venting today. Sorry if anyone reads and It such a downer. I am just discouraged about my set back. grrrrr. Okay, todays menu: Bfast - had some iced coffee from McD's. Just wasn't hungry after drinking it. Lunch - ate a breakfast burrito, without the flour tortia. Just the eggs out of it, good. Dinner - grilled chicken (3 oz or less probably) and salad Suppliments - Quickslim 30, 2 flinstones. Exercise - not much, did only 10 min on recumbant bike. Taking it easy to help the knee heal.

I've watched the biggest loser since the very beginning, I am totally addicted to the show. I'm glad Amy was sent home.

Also, don't forget to track your inches - here is an interesting article that talks about "why the scales doesn't move". Its talking about low carb diets and why we stop losing sometimes. I find it helpful to review when I'm feeling down about the darn scales. Here we go again... How the hell does your body hold onto weight and still manage to get smaller while you are on your chosen low carb diet?!? You know the scenario: You are on Induction for two weeks, and you haven't cheated even once. You notice that your clothes fit better, that you are stepping a little livelier, and as far as you're concerned, all's right with the world. But then you step on that evil construction of the Devil himself, the bathroom scale, and you instantly feel betrayed. The stupid thing insists that you have done nothing! Sometimes, it even states you have done less than nothing; it accuses you of cheating because it tells that you haven't lost any weight! Well, there area couple of simple explanations to help you get through this trying time. First of all, if it is at all possible for you to do so, throw that insipid Monster Scale in the trash. Or at least put it up somewhere that it is really, REALLY inconvenient to get to so that you won't be tempted to ask it's opinion every single day of your life. Face it. If you are feeling better and your clothes are looser, do you really need the scale to tell you that you're on the right track? No! You don't! Why do you think you do it, then? I'll tell you why. The low fat diet demons have a tenacious hold on your brain. That's right, you've been brainwashed. All your life they have told you through doctors, dietitians, newspaper and magazine articles, surgeon generals and the like, that you give up X calories per day and you will lose a pound of fat. They even go on to tell you how much fat you should lose each week. In the process, they've made you dependent on the Monster Scale to gauge your progress! What a big lie! Even on the diets that "they" advocate, the Monster Scale does not often cooperate. You go back to the Diet Demons and demand to know why the scale does not reflect the torture you have put yourself through for a month. They immediately start backpedaling on the "give up X calories and lose a pound of fat" story, and start talking to you about Water retention and muscle buildup. Sometimes, they even blame it on you with questions like, "Are you sure you counted the calories in everything you ate?" (This is delivered with a knowing little smile that makes you want to rip their knowing little face off.) Being the type that is given to blaming things on yourself, anyway, you cooperate with an answer like, "Well….." They pounce on this with "Ahhhh, well.." Then, they launch into one of their scoldings/lash/encouragement speeches. So, get off their bandwagon, already! Then, there's the competitive spirit. You hear about what other people have done on your chosen diet. Yes, Brian went on Atkins a year ago and lost over a hundred pounds. Yes, a hundred pounds in a year is over eight pounds a month, or 2 pounds a week, or .0119 pounds per hour….but, "Hello? You ain't Brian!" And, did Brian ever say that he lost .0119 pounds per hour? No! He said a hundred pounds in a year. This only proves he got on the scale twice; a year ago, and yesterday. Take a hint from Brian. Stay off the scale! The second solution is to understand what is going on in your body in light of the current state of human affairs. Today, all a person has to have to eat every day is money and transportation to a grocery store or, better yet, a nice restaurant. However, your body's survival instincts have not matured in a million years. Your body still thinks you are a hunter-gatherer. Yes, in spite of a million years of evolution, your body still thinks you are going to have to go out and kill a mammoth to eat. The survival instincts with which you are going to have to come to terms are read-only memory. You can't overwrite them. Deal with it. That said, let me tell you what happens when you lose a pound of fat. Your body has been saving this fat for that long hunting expedition you're going to have to go on to track, kill, dress and retrieve that huge animal. It keeps the fat in little pillows distributed throughout your body. When you start losing fat, it doesn't trust you to continue whatever insane path you have chosen that is causing the fat to dissipate. So, when the fat comes out of the pillow, it injects water as a "place holder." Sometimes that water actually replaces the weight of the fat it lost. Sometimes it replaces the volume. Water weighs more than fat just like lead sinkers weigh more than feathers. If you stuff a pillow with a pound of feathers, you'll have a nice big pillow. If you stuff a pillow with a pound of lead sinkers, you'll have a nice (but rather hard and uncomfortable), small pillow. Now, let's say your body removes a pound of fat and replaces the weight with a pound of water. Your weight will stay the same, but you will be smaller. But, if your body decides to replace the lost fat by volume, that is a quite different story. Remember the great big feather pillow as compared to the tiny lead sinker pillow? Well, now think of a gallon of feathers and a gallon of lead sinkers. Try to pick up the gallon of feathers. Piece of (you'll pardon the expression) cake. Now, try to pick up the gallon of lead sinkers. Sucker's heavy, ain't it? So, you will be smaller, but you will have gained weight. Eventually, your body makes the executive decision that you are not going to replace the fat you lost, and it lets go of the water. In the words of Danny Skaist: "When your body accepts the fact that they are no longer needed, the water will be expelled and the cells closed. This is known as the "whoosh." What makes your body decide to replace by weight or replace by volume? I dunno. But I do know that it does not seem consistent to the casual observer. What makes your body decide that you are seriously not going to replace the fat you lost? I dunno. But now you know why it's so important to drink your water, huh? Loss of fat is inextricably related to water intake. It's more than a little foolish to go on a diet that facilitates the removal of fat and then refuse to give your body the tools it needs to do so. Bottom Line: Stop getting on the scale and drink your water. If you stick to your plan and wait for the "whoosh," it will come.

So glad you shared that with everyone. Please tell us more! How did you do it? Did you exercise? What type of band do you have? How much fill do you have? Do you watch your carbs? Give us your secret! Congratulations on such wonderful progress! I know you feel like a different person (I'm sure you look like one too). How about some before/after pics?

Hello, and best wishes to all of you. I was banded in January of 2007 and am so happy with my decision. The hardest part is the pre-op & post-op diet. So just hang in there and you can get thru it. Also, be patient with your fills, sometimes it takes awhile to get restriction, but you will get it. Stay on top of your fills, don't wait around too long to get another fill. And EXERCISE, walk or some type of exercise everyday, you will be amazed at how quickly the weight will come off. Again, best wishes to all of you, I know you are so excited, I was in your shoes 1 year ago so I know how you must be feeling. Tonya

I managed to stay of the scales this morning. TOM is around the corner, but I don't feel bloated, but I can tell I'm a little looser. My knee is really hurting, not sure why so much pain. It only hurts when I walk, or put any pressure on it. I have therapy tomorrow, will have to ask about it. I am also swollen again in my knee area, so back to putting the ice packs on it. Menu today: Bfast - Coffee w/cream Lunch - ground beefe, salsa, broccoli Dinner - grilled salmon, salad Suppliments - 2 flinstone vitamins, 1 quickslim 30, Exercise - just doing some stretches since my knee is killing me. Man this sucks.

I managed to stay of the scales this morning. TOM is around the corner, but I don't feel bloated, but I can tell I'm a little looser. My knee is really hurting, not sure why so much pain. It only hurts when I walk, or put any pressure on it. I have therapy tomorrow, will have to ask about it. I am also swollen again in my knee area, so back to putting the ice packs on it. Menu today: Bfast - Coffee w/cream Lunch - ground beefe, salsa, broccoli Dinner - grilled salmon, salad Suppliments - 2 flinstone vitamins, 1 quickslim 30, Exercise - just doing some stretches since my knee is killing me. Man this sucks.

I have a headache like no other today. Its the kind that makes your entire body ache. I have a lot of neck problems that are the result of a rear end pile up (I was the first car, and then 4 others smashed into me), so I had bad whiplash. Well that was about 7 years ago, and it has come back and really bothers me. I've been seeing an upper cervical specialist, they are a little different than the regular chiopracters, (sp?), His office is closed on Tuesday's & Thursdays, so I am dying this morning. I really need to get in to see him to have my neck adjusted. I think that is what is causing my headache. It starts at the back of my neck and shoots all the way up and around to my temple, it even goes down to my shoulders. Anyhow, I managed to stay off the scales this morning, a big accomplishment for me. I am trying to go until next Monday before I weigh. Or at least wait a few days. I am too obsessed with those scales, we have a love/hate relationship. lol. My menu today: Bfast sugar free frozen big train with extra shot of expresso (I needed the caffeine today) Lunch Ground lean beef with salsa, broccoli Dinner 1 cup of bean soup with some lean ham - thick soup Suppliemnts - multi vitamin, Quickslim 30 Exercise - hmmm, need to do it, but not sure if I will today.

Amanda, thanks for the sweet words, it really lifted my spirits.

Just checking in, I'm staying off the scales, I can't believe I've managed to stay off of them. I feel about the same right now, don't feel like I've lost or gained, however, TOM is around the corner. I notice I'm a lot more "open" or "less restriction" right now. I'm trying to find out if there is a pattern, do I lose restriction right before TOM? I still haven't cancelled my fill that is scheduled for 11/21. I don't know if I should or shouldn't get a fill. I don't pb, well, I did once. But its very rare I slime. I still can eat regular bites of food, and can eat anything, but I do get full quick. I'll see how I do over the weekend. I hate to cancel my fill then realize I need one. what to do what to do?

You are doing so well, you look GREAT! My weightloss has really slowed down, i'm grateful to drop a pound these days. I figure since I'm 20 lbs from goal, it will take 6 months or so to reach it, so we'll see. I need to start exercising myself, however this darn knee is preventing me from doing some serious cardio. Hang in there Sherilynn, you are doing great and be proud of what you've done!

Just checking in with everyone. How is everyone going to handle the holidays? This will be the first Holiday season for the January Bandsters. For me, Holidays are not a big deal, I don't celebrate them. But there is always a lot of food around the office, so I will be careful not to graze. I will buy a turkey, mainly because its the best time to buy one, they always go on sell. But, turkey is good for us, so I don't think that will be my downfall. I guess I will have to make sure I have healthy snacks at work, and try not to pass by all the junk food lined up in our kitchen. Some of these women work all week preparing all kinds of fattening goodies. oh my, are they good. Lots of chocolate that melts in your mouth, and right thru the band. lol. Well, I hope everyone has a great day.

I assumed that I would have to take small bites and eat with baby fork & spoon as indicated by so many: This is not the case for me, I can eat regular bites of food. I assumed that I COULD NOT eat very much - This is not the case for me, I can eat, even when I'm full. I just choose not to. I assumed I would feel the golf ball too - Nope, don't feel it. I assumed I would have to chew chew and chew, this is not the case, I eat regular and swallow just like before the band, I assumed there would be certain foods I could not eat - Not the case, I can eat anything. I assumed it would be easier than it is - its not, It's a low easier with the band than without, however, I still have to work at it. But when I follow the rules, I am successful I assumed I would lose weight every week - not the case, I go 3 or 4 weeks without losing, the I drop 3 to 5 lbs overnight. I'm okay with that. I assumed my body would look perfect when losing the weight - Okay, what the hell was I thinking assuming this? The wrinkles sure come out with weightloss. I'm also okay with this to some degree, my DH is okay with it, and I look good with clothes on, so I'm not complaining. Plastic surgery could come in the future, but haven't completly decided on it yet. I assumed I would get a soft spot too - nope. I just feel full and then I stop. Sometimes I continue to eat, and then I get a pain on my side & shoulder. But it passes after about an hour. All in all, the band just makes me full quicker, so I'm very happy with it. I have no problems with eating, I have had 1 pb, I have slimed a few times, but so rare for me. I am at my sweet spot I guess, because I eat my bandster portion and can go 4 or more hourse without feeling hunger, I am losing weight, just slower.

I will stay on plan today because I owe it to myself! I am worth it! I can and will do it!

I have a headache like no other today. Its the kind that makes your entire body ache. I have a lot of neck problems that are the result of a rear end pile up (I was the first car, and then 4 others smashed into me), so I had bad whiplash. Well that was about 7 years ago, and it has come back and really bothers me. I've been seeing an upper cervical specialist, they are a little different than the regular chiopracters, (sp?), His office is closed on Tuesday's & Thursdays, so I am dying this morning. I really need to get in to see him to have my neck adjusted. I think that is what is causing my headache. It starts at the back of my neck and shoots all the way up and around to my temple, it even goes down to my shoulders. Anyhow, I managed to stay off the scales this morning, a big accomplishment for me. I am trying to go until next Monday before I weigh. Or at least wait a few days. I am too obsessed with those scales, we have a love/hate relationship. lol. My menu today: Bfast sugar free frozen big train with extra shot of expresso (I needed the caffeine today) Lunch Ground lean beef with salsa, broccoli Dinner 1 cup of bean soup with some lean ham - thick soup Suppliemnts - multi vitamin, Quickslim 30 Exercise - hmmm, need to do it, but not sure if I will today.

Last night I had a small pig out, I was worried about the scales jumping way up. I had ham, mashed potatoes, corn, dinner roll and dessert. I was so full I thought I would puke. Even the ham was only 3 oz, and everything I ate was smaller portions, I ate too much. Miserable feeling. I was worred about stepping on the scales, pre band, I would have gained 3 or 5 pounds in one night, no kidding. But I was only up .3 ounces, scale read 168.1. I was so glad not to see the 170's. I am hoping to be at 165 by my 10 month band birthday which is 11/18. My goal is to be at 160 by my 11 month band bday, and 155 at my 1 year - 155 is my doctors goal, 145 to 148 is my goal. I just so happy that I am losing again. Todays menu Bfast - Weight smart oatmeal Lunch - lean ground beef with diced tomatoes, onions. Dinner - 3 oz of ham, salad Supplements - 2 multi flinstones vitamins, 1 quickslim-30 Exercise - 2 session of 10 min on recumbant bike - still working on my knee, it really hurts lately.

I am noticing a big difference with Quickslim. Mainly losing inches first, it took about 2 weeks then I started losing. You can't buy it at the stores, I bought mine from a fellow january Bandster, babygotback (Audree). She is only 3 lbs from goal, she was so impressed by it she called the company to see if she can be a distributer. It supposed to help your matabolism.

I was 40, overweight, sleep apnea, and could see the first hand what being overweight was doing to my mother. I was tired all the time, miserable. I was depressed, felt like I had no self worth. I had always dieted in the past, and would do good. However, I could never keep it off. I would binge and then gain all my weight back. I needed a permenant solution. I was researching the Gastric Bypass, my DH was totally against it, so I was going to do it secretly and just tell him after the fact. However, a lady I work with who had Bypass told me I should consider the lap band. I had never heard of it, I researched it and took all the info to my husband, he was totally in agreement. He said he had seen how hard I work to lose weight and thought this would be a good tool for me. So bingo, I went to my first seminar on 11/13/06, met with the doctor on 11/22/06 where he submitted my paperwork for insurance approval (my bmi was 41), then I was approved on 12/9/06 from my insurance company. I scheduled my surgery for 1/18/07 - I could have done it sooner but I wanted to wait until January. I am 100% happy. Although it is not always easy - making the right food choices and dealing with head hunger, I have not weighed what I weigh now in over 17 years. Risk? I guess there are risk, as with any surgery. I think I get a little scared of a slip. However, I don't get food stuck, it has only happened to me 1 time. So, I try and follow the rules. The rewards I have are just amazing. I can cross my leg, I can tuck my shirt in, I wear a size 10, I'm only 20 lbs from goal!, I am not longer obese. I will soon be off my cpap machine, no more high cholesteral, better marriage, better wife, better mother, better friend, and I'm just so much happier. I guess my complications are my fill level, I have a 4 cc band, and I've had to go back for fill after fill, so it takes patience,however, I am finally to my sweet spot. Besides that, no complications at all. To sum it up, this has worked for me. I was scared it wouldn't so I kept it a secret, I didn't want people talking about another "diet failure". I now believe in the band 100%. I do get off track, but then I have to readjust my thinking and get back to the rules of lap band, and then I start losing again. Best wishes.

Hopefully your friend is out of pain. Let us know how she is doing. Sounds like she had a rough time.

Good for you for exercising!

I'm staying on plan today so I can reach my mini goal of 165 by 11/18/07 - my 10 month band anniversary. Staying on plan will get me there.

Some times people have issues that we just don't understand. Your brother obviously has some issues. You should be so proud of yourself for confronting your dad, now you can begin healing and truly forgive and have a good relationship with your dad. The surgery is your business and yours alone. If you don't want to tell your brother, DON'T. It is none of his business. There is a reason why we have the HIPPA law. It protects our privacy, our medical records and decisions are our business and ours alone. Congrats on getting a surgery date. I'm so happy with my band and it truly has changed my life.

my face, neck. Now I'm noticing it all over.