April 2006 Bandits November Challenge

[Boo 3]

Just checking in!

Today I hiked/jogged uphill for 2 miles, then ran down the whole way. It feels good, but I am anxious to lose more so my knees and ankles will have a lighter load.

Julie: That jog in Central Park is very fun. Just make sure you are going at a safe time of day. Also, try layering your bras. I wear three now, one is under the jog bra and one is on top of it.

Love hearing about raking leaves and walks with grandkids!

[JulieNYC 4]

I didn't exercise yesterday and I didn't get my Water in. Guess that was my day off. I'm already down 4 cups this morning and planning my walk/run for later this evening.

Betty, I'm so glad to hear your son may be coming home from the hospital and that as tough as the surgery was, it is behind you all. That is just wonderful. I'm so thankful and relieved.

Boo, I'll give the multiple bra approach a try this evening!

I'm at 250 lbs today. Given that when I started, my closest century marker was 400, I'm feeling good that in one lb I'll be closer to 199 than to 300. Onederland -- REALLY? So weird. I feel like I might wake up sometime soon and this band might have just been a dream.

[guysis 0]

Julie, You are an inspiration. Onederland will be upon you in no time!

My son is home from the hospital today! He's still in a lot of pain - not fun to have your chest opened up................but, he is definately on the mend.

Looking forward to a new week...........back to NORMAL routine..........yeah..........time to work on that Water intake.

November

1

2

3

4 - 1 hour NIA

5

[Boo 3]

Betty, you and Kat are inspirations as well!! It is so hard to keep up an exercise routine with the slightest change in the schedule. Yet here you are both kicking it! That gives me no excuse to miss a day.

Well wishes to your family members, and keep it up!

Julie: That is just AMAZING that you have lost sooo much since April! It is not a dream, it is real! And it is going to get even better. WTG!!

Susan: Is that a new picture? You even look thinner in this pic!

Does anyone have any good ideas about handling the big Thanksgiving feast? I thought I would take my family on a hike to appreciate the beauty of the earth, to talk and laugh, to exercise together, and to enjoy an activity before dinner. Definitely, exercise will be part of my day. I'm just not sure what will go down easily and how to eat. I'll figure it out, though!

:hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry:

[Kat817 19]

Hi everyone!

Betty I am so glad your son is home!!! He & my DH can heal together!!! They rebroke Rick's sternum when he had the GI bleed. They were doing CPR keeping him alive, I guess the re-break is minor!!! He is improving daily he says, might be just to keep me from making yet another Dr. appt. tho!

WTG Boo....you and Julie are really pushing the exercise...good for you!! I need to get more aggressive, but just haven't found it yet!!! I am going to a beginners Tai Chi class this week, so that should be fun, but I have also been told it will kick my butt!!!

Thanksgiving...not something I am looking forward to! Nothing to do with the food--that is not something I intend to worry about! My issues are all with having to DO it all. My DH's sister's grandkids are wild ones!!! We used to go back and forth between our house and his sisters, for holidays. Both Mom's get so flustered with the chaos, it worked best. But for some reason his sister has just decided I can have them all. Her reasoning is that my parents come too. But so does her MIL. I have to Shampoo carpet every time, because her 9 yr old granddaughter does not listen, and spills every single time!!! Oh well, thats why I bought the shampooer I guess!!! As for the food...I will make the usual dinner, and eat what sounds yummiest to me!!! That was one of my biggest reasons for having this particular surgery, to maintain as normal of a life as possible. I wanted to Celebrate holidays with my family, and eat birthday cake on my grandbabies birthdays. The band will make sure I don't OVER do it as I used to!!! And it will be there the next day ready to work as usual...but thanksgiving day...if I want to snack all day I plan on it! Any body have any good recipes to share?? I need some new things!!!

I didn't exercise yesterday, but got my Water in. Saturday I climbed in and out of a friends monster 4X4 truck no less than 30 times!!! We went yard sale-ing looking for her D a washer and dryer!!! Then I come home and mowed/mulched the leaves in the yard, and then walked on my treadmill 1 1/2 miles, before my neighbor showed up at the door. I got my water in Sat. too. So far so good!!

Keep it up guys. Betty Happy Healing for DS...and you runners, be careful!!!

Kat

[JulieNYC 4]

Kat, you're AMAZING. I thought for sure the climbing in and out of the truck was going to be your exercise for the day, but then you hit the treatdmill to boot! Way to go.

Boo, I'm avoiding the Thanksgiving feast by heading to France for the long weekend. I go home for a long vacation at Christmas and I really wanted to see a close friend who lives in Paris, so off I go. So exciting to fit in an airplane seat again. I'm really with Kat though -- I didn't get the band to not eat Thanksgiving dinners, it's just working out that way this year.

Betty, So glad your son is home and improving every day. Good job making it to your NIA class on Saturday even in the middle of all this.

As for me, I went to the gym this morning and did the elliptical for 38 minutes. I like to have my Monday nights free as a present for getting through the hardest day of the week, so I try to get my workout in early. I'll have to do the same tomorrow because I'm going to the theater tomorrow night (revival of "Company"), then I've got a big court hearing on Wednesday....Have a good week all!

[*susan* 1,709]

Happy Monday everyone!

Betty, I am so glad to hear your son is on the mend, that is wonderful news.

K@t, good luck with your revision tomorrow. Don't worry about it, it really is a very simple process. I was up and around with no problems the next day. Let us know how you do.

I went for fill number 3 today. I hadn't had one since my port revision surgery back in August. I had been doing well and about 3 weeks ago it seemed like I just lost all restriction overnight. Add Halloween and my birthday on top of it, and the scale stopped moving. I am ok with that though, because I now feel like even if I get a bit out of control with my eating, my band is still there doing its thing because even though I didn't

lose, I didn't gain either.

I went in for my fill and he added 1.0 cc. Everything seemed great, the Water went down with no problems. Well, about halfway back to work, going down the highway at 75 miles an hour, with practically no warning that entire glass of Water came back up. So, I went home instead. I waited an hour and tried taking a tiny sip of water and that came right back up. Before I knew it, I couldn't even swallow my own saliva. I finally understand the misery people express when they talk about being overfilled. After about 3 hours of this, I called Dr. Herrera and he had me come right back in. He took out .50 cc and, thankfully, everything feels much better now. My tummy is a bit upset still, and he gave me some naprosyn to prevent any further vomiting until it gets to feeling better. I don't think I will exercise tonight, but I have been doing pretty good this month. I expect to see a loss when I hit the scale on Sunday.

11/1: No exercise. 50 oz. water

11/2: 40 minutes treadmill. 48 oz. water (48 is my daily goal)

11/3: 40 minutes treadmill. 60 oz. water

11/4: No exercise, 48 oz. water

11/5: 55 minute fast-paced walk around the neighborhood, 60oz water

<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

[JulieNYC 4]

Oh Susan, I'm so glad you got your overfill resolved so quickly. That must have been miserable. Keep us posted over the next few days as you adjust to your new fill.

Take care,

[Boo 3]

Kat: For the life of me, I can't figure out why any sane person would expect you to host a Thanksgiving feast this year. I don't mean to stir up trouble within your family, but how could anyone want to impose on you that way? Your husband is still recuperating! And so are you. Haven't you been through enough? Is there a way to (kindly) request that someone else host? Or suggest a buffet at a hotel? Surely your relatives must have some empathy. You must be the kind of woman that gives to everyone, all of the time. Others begin to expect it. Sometimes we have to let them know that it is too much. Please take care of yourself, so that you can care for your DH and family!

Julie: Paris sounds like a wonderful trip. You can do isometrics and little stretches on the plane.

I am SO THANKFUL for how my life has changed since my surgery. There is no longer a constant fear or obsession over food and weight. That frees my mind and body to begin enjoying the simple things in life again. I am grateful I don't need to go on a "diet" during the holidays to avoid gaining weight. I AM stuck on a plateau, but normally I GAIN this time of year. And it will have to budge soon, if I continue to be stubborn about exercising.

Keep it up, everyone!!

[K@t 38]

well, my revision was canceled for today, the surgen called this morning and said that he had an emergency and that we would have to postpone until next week, so another week of waiting. :phanvan

[Kat817 19]

Bless you Boo!!! There really is only one other option for where to have Thanksgiving, and that would be my SIL's house. She is the one who has refused. We were actually banded together, and she has had difficulties, and is not doing real well,(another story all together!). She has trouble eating much of anything she says. So she refuses to do all the work, when she cannot enjoy it at all. The Mom's just get too flustered with all the chaos, and they just tire out too easy. I like being able to let them enjoy it, and the kids, but when it gets overwhelming they can go home and nap!!! My plan is to assign dishes to everyone, Moms, SIL, daughters, DIL's, nieces.....and jobs to the ones who don't wanna cook!!! I am going to use disposable plates etc. Buy soda-pop & juice and put it in a cooler. I have baked a couple of pies already and froze them. I intend on doing as much of that as I can. Now with that said...I do have somewhat of an evil plan in mind!!! I am not thrilled that this is being forced upon me, but...if I do Thanksgiving I can flat out refuse at Christmas!!! It is harder for me to do Christmas, I have less space (too many decorations!!) and we do gifts Christmas morning. The rest of DH's family does them Christmas Eve. So when I have to do Christmas, I feel very rushed all morning. I have 2 little grandbabies who will be having fun this year, I refuse to be rushed!! So I am not saying a word, I will host Thanksgiving, but not Christmas!!!

As for DH, he is doing really well, I will just sit on him (oooh kinky!!!) and not let him do much to prep for the dinner...I'll Shampoo after...not before!!! While it is irritating, I would rather do it, than any of the alternatives I can come up with. If I refuse, it will be each on their own, and that is upsetting to my MIL, and if one of the nieces does it, they don't include some of the extended families. My oldest DD does not have space, but both girls have said they will do the work for me....so it is best to suck it up and do it, and save my NO for Christmas!!!

I am off this morning to buy a new coffee pot, ours has been dying!!! It brews a cup or 2 and quits til it cools down, then starts again. Time to buy a new one! Think I will take the stroller, and maybe do some of my Christmas shopping at the mall today, shouldn't be too crowded, as long as I stay away from the polls---I already voted in early voting! Then I can drop the baby off with my Mom and go to Curves. Gotta remember to take my water bottle shopping--if I have it I will drink it, if I don't I don't remember to drink anything!

Thanks so much for your concern! It is so nice to have y'all here to vent to!!!

Kat

[JulieNYC 4]

I got up early again this morning and did the elliptical for 40 minutes. Then I got to work and the office decided to order Mexican for lunch. Man, that's so tough for me. I decided to get a small cheese quesidilla so that I felt like I was participating but would still eat my healthy stuffed pepper that I cooked at home last night, only with a little quesidilla on the side.

Now I'm so miserable I think I'll never eat again. Blech! I'm too full and feel gross from all the grease. GROSS. Blech. I need to remember to come back and read this post and remember how I'm feeling right now the next time I THINK I want some crap food.

[Boo 3]

Dear Kat: You have a HUGE heart, and I hope that you will be blessed with the strength to make a beautiful day for all of your loved ones and for yourself!

Julie: I have found that I just can't eat out. (bummer!) I seem to always have problems, except for a few standbys. The food just gets stuck, or has too much fat. Also, I have a better idea of what I am eating if I bring my own food to work. And Julie, I think you are going to make it to my goal before I do!! Mark my words!

Ran 3 1/2 miles tonight at a FASTER pace!

I signed up to run a 5K!!!

[Kat817 19]

Boo--at the risk of making this sound like a mutual admiration society....A 5K RUN???? I have no words to tell you how impressed I am!!!

I went to a new class...a Tai Chi class....I am finding even more muscles that have spent years in hiding!!! Thinking I am going to like it tho...I am finishing up a bottle of Water, so I have made close to 70 oz. Yeehaw--I get to count today all the way around!!!

Kat

[*susan* 1,709]

Boo, what can I say that the others haven't already said, I am absolutely amazed!! Running is not an option for me yet.

K@t, sorry to hear about them postponing your revision. It will be here soon though, and you will hopefully have good restriction after that.

I am over my "trauma" from my overfill on Monday. It only lasted a few hours, but I never want to be overfilled again and certainly would never wish that on anyone. I had some mushies last night and wow, I think I have found my sweet spot again, thank goodness! I was able to eat about 3 1/2 ounces and was stuffed!

Have a good day everyone!

11/1: No exercise. 50 oz. Water

11/2: 40 minutes treadmill. 48 oz. Water (48 is my daily goal)

11/3: 40 minutes treadmill. 60 oz. water

11/4: No exercise, 48 oz. water

11/5: 55 minute fast-paced walk around the neighborhood, 60 oz water

<!-- / message -->11/6: None - too miserable from overfill experience. About 30 oz water

11/7: 40 minutes on the treadmill. 60 oz water. <!-- sig --><!-- / message --><!-- sig -->