StephC

Boo I'm so happy for you! I'm sure you were looking mighty hot in that top! Size M - WTG!!! I have to say I was looking at your pics on Before and After and you look AMAZING! You look 15 years younger. I kept looking at your before pic and thinking you looked in your 40's (you still had nice skin and hair) but I just couldn't get over how much younger you look now. You didn't say if this guy in the store was good looking... hmmm?

:clap2: I just got in from my walk/jog that I do with my dogs - I can't believe that gives me a whole mile today that I jogged! Never would I believe I could be doing this. When Kaydoll was doing all that running last spring I was just amazed and never ever thought I could do it too. Now I'm off to walk 2 miles with my niece.

Bunco is a dice game, rolling 3 dice, we play with 8 players. The way we play it is by rolling 6's. One 6 is one point, if you roll two 6's thats five points, you have to have at least one 6 to keep rolling, and we play partners, so we add our points together to get bunco, which is 21 points. If you roll three 6's thats a BIG BUNCO and atomatically wins that round. We set a timer for 1/2 hour and we keep track of the rounds and the big buncos. At the end of the 1/2 hour we switch partners, and then play another 1/2 hour. At the end we give out prizes, for the most, the least, the most BIG BUNCOs and... door prize. But its more then all that, whoever hosts the evening does a dinner - then in between half hours we have dessert. Its fun. That was probably more info then you wanted, hehe. Speaking of racing cars... this weekend is the demo derby at the fair!! Woohoo... my son and his buddy's all do it. You know you're a redneck when... the highlight of fair week is the demo derby!!!

Va - I agree with everything above. We're here for you, vent away! I actually told the support group last night that if it wasn't for all of you I don't think I'd be as far as I am. I am very dependant on all of you. I love ya to peices! I'll say a prayer for your job. BTW, what do you do? Bman - girl take a nap! Theres no way I could get by on 3 hours of sleep! That is why you have a cold. Your body needs rest. I also wish I had you all near me to walk with, go to lunch with and be buds with. My support group just isn't quite like you all. Although I did sit next to a new girl last night who isn't banded yet - she's more my age (or younger) so maybe we'll strike up a bandship. Sweethot -did I hear you say BUNCO!! I miss bunco. Our drama has done my group in. Nat - Banannie - we miss you.

Good morning! I'm happy happy! I went to group last night and I'm down 5lbs since my last dr visit on July 25. Dr Sexy (yes he's sexy once again) was very pleased with me. I'm one of the lower BMI and he reassured me that I'm well above my one year average. The average is 40% weight loss the first year (which for me is about 36 lbs) and by the 3rd year it is 60%. I only have 8 more lbs to hit the 60% - woohoo - of course I want to lose the 100% the first year but at least I feel like I'm doing ok now. Yeah he's cute. I went out walking this morning and thanks to my handy dandy underwear I was able to jog another 1/2 a mile this morning without stopping. I love it. I have to tell you the story of my dogs - I have 2 shitzu's - Gigi who has total snob attitude, and Sandy who is just a happy go lucky love ya attitude. They walk with me, and love it. Sandy is kissing my face as soon as my alarm goes off, ready to walk. So yesterday we went and it started raining, Gigi doesn't do rain, she doesn't go out to pee if the grass is wet - so she was pissed. She kept stopping and standing there like WTF are we doing out here! So finally got her home and she was soaked! I toweled her off and got a chuckle. So today when I went out it was just a little misty - she stood on the porch like .. I don't think so... so I convinced her to come onto the driveway... again she stood there like .. hey are you serious its raining! So me and Sandy left her standing there. When we got back she was on the porch. Funny as heck. So I go in, towel off Sandy, and get my shower. I get ready for work and go in the dining room - theres a mess - she pooped and peed on my floor!!! The little shit-zu! Think she was telling me something?

Hi all!! I'm a Dec bandster - theres alot of us who post everyday in the lounge under Steady Losers, you're all welcome to come on over. I had lost about 45 lbs and felt a little too comfortable. For about 2 months I didn't work at losing, started eating junk and didn't exercise and then I went in for a fill. I had to have it done under fluro and my dr said you don't need a fill, you need to eat right. :0 That was a kick in the butt! So I've started back tracking my calories on fitday (I keep them around 1300) and walking anywhere from 1-4 miles a day. I go in tonight to get weighed and I think I'm down a good 5 lbs since my last "kickinthebutt" visit last month. I had to go back to the beginning and remember this is only a tool and its still up to me to eat the proper foods. I'd love to be losing faster but slow and steady will be just fine.

Lepez - I just want to say thank you for what you do. My sweet little great neice died from neuroblastoma at the ripe age of 4. The strength it takes to deal with that kind of sadness day in and day out is remarkable. I'm sure you have already left a legacy.

VA - hon you sound better already!!! And we are always here for you. Sweethot thank you so much for the advice on the under armor stuff!! I went to walmart last night, in the men's dept and got a pair of the shorts. They aren't actual under armor but like everything else at walmart, the next best thing to it. WTG on the mile jog!!! I actually had a nsv in my new armor this morning. I did the walk up the hill but jog a half mile down. Pretty pleased with myself and there was no fat slapping when I did it. And to top all that off - IT WAS RAINING!!! Because of the rain the course is closed today which means I'm sitting here at work all by myself - its all good though, I got like tons of nothing done today. I wrapped my dd b-day present and talked with Charlie (the greens guy) and well ... sometime I'll get some work done. I have support group tonight. I'm gonna get weighed and maybe change my ticker. Fingers crossed. Last time I got weighed I was up to 190, which was down 1 1/2 lbs from the last time I'd been there but of course it was up 5 from my home scale. Don't ya just love how these scales play with your head?

yeah sometimes I hate him too - I hate the c word!!!

wow - just read this thread - very interesting Probably the biggest suprise to people is I was a dope head. Raised in a Christian family, started smoking pot at 12, dropping acid by 15, and the list goes on. When I had my first child I had a dream that satan was trying to rip him from my arms. It turned my life around. I gave my life to the Lord and I go to church up to 3 times a week, I know that God is God and I am His child. A few years ago my best bud and I went to give blood. I couldn't give blood bc I had done drugs with a needle. Shock to me - well it about blew her down - she couldn't even imagine me smoking cigs let alone shooting coke! I look like the perfect soccer mom, but thats my secret. My kids are wonderful, don't do drugs, drink or any of the horrible things that I put my mother through. Whew - that was tough. Although it has made me a loving gracious person. I know that I was forgiven and so it has made me a forgiving person. Simple things you'd be suprised to know: I love to read - mostly historical books, I read at least on book a week. My husband is the love of my life, we've been together since I was 16, but have had as many ups and downs as anyone else - he still calls me his beautiful wife and I get panic attacks when I think he may die before me, and yet I don't want him to be alone without me. I love babies, crying babies never bothered me and I'll take a crying child from their mother, now that I won't have anymore babies I have dogs. I am a great baker. And I guess cook, although I work at a private club and have eaten some dishes prepared by chefs and I don't think I compare but I can out bake all of them. Baking relaxes me. I weighed 103 for the first 5 years I was married, when I was 4 months prego I was a whopping 119 - that suprises most people - how'd I get so fat? Probably bc I love to bake!

my thoughts exactly!!!

I went through that too, everything was always my fault! It drove my mom and sister crazy - I don't know what to tell you - I think everyone has to choose whats right for them but like I told Nikki things can get better and divorce is not always the answer. Don't hate yourself, just keep surrounding yourself with people you love and support you - like us Steadies - and remember you are a smart, beautiful woman and he is probably feeling threatened by you.. maybe threatened isnt' the right word.. inferior.. yes he feels inferior to you. I'm glad he's on meds but if he won't go to counceling you should tell him that you are going and if he wants to keep his marriage he needs to go too. I said to my dh, whats more important your pride or your marriage. The biggest thing for us - me - was when he asked me where do I see myself in 10 years. At the time my kids were early to mid teens, I had been thinking I was young enough to start over - which is true - you are, but do you want to? I didn't want to start over (lord only knows what jerk is waiting to be next in line) or you can work through it and hope it gets better. It got better for me, its better everyday. Now the kids are older, we don't have financial stress like we did then, which was 90% of our problems, and we have time for each other, its like it was when we first got married. So just think about it good and hard. And btw did you see the Sandra Bullock movie Premonition? If not rent it and then think about why you fell in love with him to begin with. ((((VA)))) - Hon get out the wooden cross and hang the garlic!!! That man is pure evil. Bringing her to your party - what a jackass!!! Consider yourself lucky that you are not her!!! What was he thinking and where is his brains? Does he think that much of himself that he can just toy with your (both of you) affections? You are a beautiful loving sweet fun woman and the man that figures that out will be one lucky man!! Don't cry over him, he is not worth your tears - if you must use emotion over him use the anger emotion. Bman baby - good to hear you are back with us! Get going on the bike its been missing you!!! We have too - you always inspire us to do better. I'm glad you found yourself during your vaca - it sounds like it was a good time. Sweethot - thank you thank you thank you!!! I never thought about the under armor stuff!!! I'm going into town tonight and get me some. My son used to wear them for different sports stuff and I never thought about it for myself!!! No more slap slap slap - the deer won't hear me coming now. Jill - I love chinese food too - I eat it about once a month and I stay away from the noodles and rice and it goes down good. I don't think you did so bad if you ate it over a course of 4 meals!!! We should be able to eat the things we love but in MODERATION - like you said preband you would've at the whole carton in one meal - I think thats moderation. I will confess I still eat all the foods I love (except for the ones that my band hates) but I track them - if I eat a candy bar I track it in fitday - or chips - I track it - which is probably why I don't lose as fast as everyone else - I'm always at 1300 calories/day. But if I walk 300 calories off - that brings me down to 1000/day - so I should be able to lose 1-2 lbs a week on that and I am! I love mexican food and we have a great place here - I get a chalupa for a whopping $5 and then I eat half of it and take the other half home. Damn I'm a cheap date!!! Although this last weekend dh ate my other half and I didn't get to enjoy leftovers later. But if we aren't over eating shouldn't we be able to eat tasty food? Ok - sorry for the extra long post - making up for Nat being gone. :car: OH BK - wtg on the nsv!!! You little junior girl!!! I'm proud of you!!!!

So good to hear from Nikki, Bandiva, and Jill - hi ya girls!!! Its so good to be focused again. I was walking with my neice the other night and she's lost 12 lbs since we started 3 weeks ago, she said that even better then the weight loss is the feeling of control. I said I KNOW!!! me too! I feel so much better just by being in control of myself again. The walking, tracking... it all just makes me feel like my life is mine and I'm controling it. Question for you joggers (sweethot, Kay...anyone else out there) .. this sounds gross but I need to know. Doesn't your fat flap? My jelly belly flaps like a flag when I jog, I have to hold it. You can hear it slapping with every bounce. I tried a girdle panty but it rubbed around my leg, crotch area and so I didnt' try that one again. We (me and neice) both wear long shorts or capris to walk in bc the short creep up and you have to keep pulling them down. Her dh said to her one night .. why did you change, you had shorts on.. I said she didn't want to start a fire, all that friction and we could combust at any moment. LOL Its a joke for us, but I still haven't conquered the fat flapping.

Dick doesn't seem like he could be in love with anyone, and neither does Jen .. so I guess you're probably right, they would make a good couple. Amber needs to get off this week.. she's just so wacked! Did you hear her last night. "everything happens for a reason and God told me I was going to win the POV and so me and Janeka will be sitting beside each other in the final two" - she's nuts. She's not going to last 2 weeks. I just get a kick out of Dick - I don't really want him to win but I don't want him off the show. I think the longer he's on the more we see the real Dick. He was actually giggling when Danielle won HOH. Those tough shell types always have a soft middle.

Oh! Sorry to hear the night out wasn't the greatest.

no Boo I didn't know he left you like that. Jerk! He needs some marriage counciling! ASAP - seriously hon, he sounds pretty self centered. I'd like to see how he reacts if the shoe was on the other foot! You do deserve better. I think you need to have a really good talk with him about how he treats you. My dh was a jerk at one time too. We all walked on egg shells around his moods - but we did do counciling and he got on anti-depressants - world of difference. He's on a high stress job now and I told him if he starts getting grouchy he's going back on his meds. I don't know if men just need an extra 30 years to grow up or what. Why are you alone this week - is he working away or have you seperated?

Too Funny!!! Danielle - a little girl trying to play with grown-ups (all those -"its not fair!" tantrums!) And yes a bit to thin. Amber - still detoxing = bawling like an idiot - she has no control over herself - she'll be out soon bc of it. Jameka - wants people to think she's a Christian but doesn't know quite how to live it. And she's the dumbest blonde I've ever seen - oh thats right she's not blonde. Ok so how stupid to give up all the HOH for someone else!!! IT'S A GAME JAMEKA! Eric is so wishy washy - drives me crazy! He never really comes right out and says 'this is what I think' - I just don't like him - the raised eyebrow drives me nuts, I just want to slap him to make it go back down. Jessica... her voice also sends a shiver up my back - BUT I think she's beginning to finally come into her own game. The little wheels are starting to turn in that blonde head. Zach is going to suprise everyone - He does walk around like Herman Munster BUT he's not as dumb as you think, and neither was Herman. I have a feeling he's been coasting under the radar which is a good thing to do while it lasts. But I think he's going to come on strong soon. Once he wins HOH I think we'll see a different Zach. Dick is great tv and CBS was smart to keep him on and get rid of Dustin. I think he's probably a good guy under all that fake badass stuff - and he does pull off the badass pretty good. I think he really does love his daughter but just doesn't know how to be an adult yet. I see him as doing all that stuff just to protect her. I hope he's on for a long time, he's so fricking entertaining! I can't say I have a real favorite this season. But for some reason I'm kinda rooting for Zach. Just bc no one likes him.

Angela the great thing about the band is that we can "restart" whenever we need to. Look at all the banders who have had babies, after the baby is born they start back on track again. I had about 2 months when I didn't lose anything and I wasn't working at it. I went in for a fill and had to have it under fluro and when he was adjusting the band I didnt' need a fill after all. He kinda chewed me out and said it was my eating habits and that the band was working fine but I needed to change my food choices. SOOOOOOOOO that tells me, us, or should I say reminds us that the band is only a tool for weight loss. If we continue to eat wrong we aren't going to lose the weight. Thankfully since I went in for that fill I was shamed into getting back on track. I'm now down about 5 lbs. but I'm working it, tracking my calories on fitday and walking everyday. You can do it. Just get your head into the game again.

drsumm - I felt the same way and I think most of us did. Its bc you're not adjusted (filled) yet and the food can go right throw to the mother stomach. Don't get discouraged, as soon as you get the first fill and you are feeling restriction you'll begin to feel in control again. But you do need to follow the bandster rules, choose protein rich foods first, do not drink with your food (it washes it down and you can eat more) and stay away from those easy foods, like protein drinks.

Hi girls - Boo hope you're having a BLAST with the gf's! Va - Happy early birthday! I'm anxious to hear how all goes tomorrow. I'm sure it'll be fine, he apparently likes you or he wouldn't go to the trouble of throwing you the party and stuff. He just might be the friend kinda guy, and lover boy is waiting in the wings. You never know when cupid is gonna shoot his arrow. I have to agree with Boo, I also enjoy my "alone" time... to a point, when he works out of town its a totally different atmosphere in the house but I do miss him when he's gone. Especially in bed, I like a warm body to curl up to. And he is sweet - tonight I went to get my nails done and he had called earlier and I said if I'm not home when you get there I'm getting my nails done and he started teasing me, and then he said I'm just teasing I know they make you feel pretty. Driving there I was thinking how 10 years ago he wouldn't have been so sweet about it. Claud - nice to hear from you again, sounds like you are happy. Good luck with the interview! Sweethot - I haven't seen Hairspray the movie but I did see it on broadway - LOVED IT! I love love love John Travolta - he's been my man since he was Vinnie Barbarino (before Grease... before your time) I can't wait to see him in it. I haven't been to a movie for a while since I'm working all the time and weekends are spent with dh. I'm still walking 3-4 miles a day - Lord knows this weight should be moving on out. I'm thinking about getting a new digital scale since mine is the dr type (although now my dr has a digital) - I told dh that maybe I'd see 1/2 lbs moving and it would encourage me more, my scale is so hard to read unless you lose like 3-5 lbs!

wow I never thought about us being that close to our one year anniversary. 4 months!! I still want to lose 35 lbs - I guess its doable - 2 lbs a week. Thats about 81 lbs total for me. YOU HAVE INSPIRED ME TO WORK HARDER!!! love ya girls - have a great weekend.

thanks! I'm there!

WTG Kay on those jeans!! Isn't it great to fit into something that just plain suprises you? I love it. Have fun with the girlfriends - wish I could have a girls weekend, sounds wonderful! I don't know whats going on but I'm pb'ing again!! I ate just a little bit of pork - I actually got sick on it a few months ago and kept my distance but it looked and smelled so good so I took a couple LITTLE bites and I'm in pain now. Do you guys have foods you have to totally avoid?

I can't help myself ... I still like Dick! I just think he makes for good tv and I can't wait to see if Justin - the jerk - gets voted off tonight - that would be the absolute best!!!

Hey girlie girls! Everyone sounds good! Isn't it great that we're all still here? LOVE IT! I posted on yahoo - just for you - sometimes this forum is just too public. I feel so much better today - you're right BK - I know I can't do bk so I shouldn't even try. But I also think I had a touch of the flu, my nephew was sick monday so I might have caught a little something. I had the chills and slept for 2 hours which isn't typical of a normal pb'ing episode. It was thundering and lightening here this am so I didn't get to walk so hopefully I can double up tonight. I didn't get to walk last night bc I took my pooch to the vet for an allergy shot and then stopped at my neices to visit her mom, my ex-sil. She had the bypass in Jan. and has lost over 80 lbs. She looks good but still has about another 80 to lose. She goes in this week to get bone spurs taken off her neck. eewww I guess she had all that fat padding before and now she lost the fat in her neck they really bother her. Talk to you soon. Hey Claudia - hows everything?