September Bandsters

[TamifromAL 1]

I have some good news to report. I have officially met my St. Patty's Day 25 lb. loss goal a week ahead of schedule! I'm now 188 lbs., and better yet, I'm no longer "obese"! I'm "overweight", and on my way to "normal"! I won't update my ticker until Monday, when it's official, but I just want to bask in this moment for a bit in case the scales go up again.

Tami

[kareyquilts 1]

Tami: Congratulations! I still think that you should share more of what you're doing. I liked it when you posted what you were eating. You're an inspiration!

[TamifromAL 1]

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

[BJean 16]

Tami: Thanks for sharing the other web address. It was interesting and I learned something in just the quick read I did. I didn't know that the fullness feeling was only achievable with the band when we eat solid foods. I thought anything we took in was supposed to make us feel full. That explains a lot. Including why eating ice cream, for instance is so easy while chicken and broccoli are difficult. Thanks again!

[kareyquilts 1]

Tami: Thanks for the website. I didn't even know it existed. I will check it out more when I get home. You're awesome. Thanks for the insights.

[MimIN 19]

I am so sorry!!! I forgot to post this week's numbers! I'm lost in a world on 1's and 0's and oblivious to anything else going on around me.

TamifromAL – 213/-5/-2/0/-5/-2/-1/-2/-3/-2

BJean – 181/0/0/-1/-1/0/0/-1/-1/0

Gonnabethin – 190/0/0/-1/-2/-1.5/0/0/0/-1.5

MimIN – 199/-2/-2/0/-4/-2/-5/0/0/0

Sandranoelle – 275/-4/+2/0/-6/-3/+4/-3/-1

Kareyquilts – 203/-4/-2/-3/0/0/-2/-1/-1

TrueBlueSue - 174.5/0/0/0/-1.5/-1/-2

LindaN – 218/-1/-3/-1/0/-3/0/-3/0/0

Lauriegee – 215/-2/-6/0/+2/-3

Mom of Many – 209/-1/0/0

Mariecarmen – 198/-8/0/-2/-1/-2/0/+4/0

Lisalee – 203/+2/-4/-2/-1/-3/-1/+1/-2/-3

Harlito – 371/-1.5/-3

April – 241/-5/0/0

Finallyonmyway – 200/-9

Katt – 282/-2

TommyGirl – 246/-6

[MimIN 19]

:clap2: :clap2: :clap2: CONGRATULATIONS TAMI!!!! :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: You must be on cloud 9! I checked your obesity help page and took a look at the link you posted for sparkpeople.com - that site is awesome! I have been using self.com but I LOVE the food journal on sparkpeople, self only calculates the calories and I like the breakdown that sparkpeople gives.

Lisalee: I know exactly what you are saying. To me it is so foreign that a guy would be flirting or 'checking me out' and when it happens I'm either oblivious or embarassed. And like Mariecarmen said, It's like starting all over again and not knowing how to deal with the 'unwanted' attention!

It is great that we're not alone with these kind of feelings! This group is awesome!

Tami: I too am overly critical of my body. I WONT wear anything that shows any kind of lumps or bumps, bathing suit? Hell no! I haven't even tried any on, lol. I am so weird about clothes, I don't want them tight but I don't want them too loose, can't show bumps but can't hide curves. It's painful! CANCUN! Lucky lady! You'll be basking in the sun and I'll be well... bound up, lol.

I will not be taking my normal spring vacation this year:think Between training and surgery I have had a lot of time off and I can't afford to fall any further behind at work. I am trying to find decently priced tickets to Scotland for the summer to see some friends but that is like looking for a pinhead in a barrel of tacks.

[finallyonmyway 0]

Hi MimIn,

Just checking in on the weight loss challenge. I've lost a couple more pounds in the last few weeks. Tapering off....but still feeling really tight, so I did not go for a fill this month. I've lost 42 pounds total.

[gonnabethin 10]

Zero - I choose to see that as no gain!

[TamifromAL 1]

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

[kareyquilts 1]

Just checking in for the week. I exercised 6 out of 7 days while on vacation. Good right?! I watched what I ate, but no weight loss! I guess it's better than gaining, but I'm getting frustrated. I passed up a lot of great food. I wish I could see more success. I'm beginning to worry that I've lost the weight I'm going to lose and no more will come off. Does anyone else think like this? I'm wondering if I need to go on some kind of platueau busting diet. I'm just not sure what to do. Appreciate suggestions.

[BJean 16]

karey: Yes!! I definitely have felt like I've lost all I'm going to lose. It is so frustrating and disappointing, but then I realize how much more food I'm eating now than a few months ago. Back then I was still doing just the Soups and cottage cheese and very low-cal stuff. Now I'm pretty much eating regular food, just in smaller quantities. And I'm not gaining and only losing less than a pound a week. More like about a half a lb. a week. At this rate, I could lose 25 lbs. in a year and that's nothing to sneeze at. But I agree, I'd like to lose at least 2 lbs. a week. That would be great. If you come up with something that works well for you, please let us know.

[BJean 16]

For the challenge: lost one lb. this week. One hour of exercise. My bad.

[MimIN 19]

reporting a loss of 1lb - finally not 0!

[kareyquilts 1]

I'm thinking about an all protien diet for a week, but I'm having a hard time making myself do it. I added an afternoon workout and will continue with 2 work outs a day and see if that helps. I'm also considering getting a Body Bugg. Someone on a different thread told me about them and said that she attributes her 128 pound weight loss to the band and the Body Bugg. The body bugg is a band that sits on your upper arm and measures your caloric output (what you burn from breathing, resting, movement, exercise, etc). Then you interface it with the computer and put your food intake in. It should accurately measure your entire metabolism and hence give you a tool for knowing what's going on with your body. She said that she got it at 6 months out and that's when she really started losing weight. It was highly motivating. I think it would be for me, too. But, you can't wear it in the Water and I really like water aerobics! The company said that you can input an amount of calories burned for the water aerobics class. The Bugg costs $400. Maybe I should change to a different kind of exerise and go for it. Has anyone else heard of this and do you think it would be helpful? I'm starting to feel that I am on shaking ground. I'm tired of trying so hard and not seeing results!