April 2006 Bandits December Challenge

[bluehill 0]

That's very exciting, Julie! Each new "decade" is a thrill, and worth dancing about! I'm particularly looking forward to the 230s myself, because it will mark my 100-lb loss. Maybe by New Year's.

April Bandits December Challenge: Four days of exercise completed

[Boo 3]

Julie, that is FANTASTIC!!!! Bluehill, too!

:cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2:

The weight is just pouring off of you. You are melting!

This is what I do every time I lose ONE stinking pound:

You must be doing this:Banane13: and this:Banane10: , but hopefully, not this:Banane21:

Roberta, glad to hear from you.

Kat, I'm getting sick again, too...took the wrong antibiotics (oops).

[guysis 0]

December

1 - 1 hour NIA

2- 1 hour NIA

3 -

4 - 1 hour NIA/1 hour strength training

5 - walk back and forth to Breakfast approx 1 hour

6 - off to my 1 hour NIA class - talked 2 friends into joining my gym and so have partners in my NIA class

7 - 1 hour walk to Breakfast (approx)

8 - 1 hour NIA (posted in advance - meeting friends so no excuses!)

My personal challenge for this month (6 days a week of exercise)! Don't think I've ever done this before..................we will be out of town for a week 15th thru the 21st..............that will be my challenge! (again going to San Diego area for my "baby" sis's 50th BD and then up to Sacramento to visit a set of kids/grandkids on the way home to Portland).

Yeah Julie - way to go!

Bluehill - close to 100 lbs - would you have believed this last April?

Dawn...............what can I say to the 3 of you............I'm in awe of your weight losses and the changes you have made to your life styles (exercise and good bandster eating) necessary to accomplish it all!

Kat - hope you're feeling better!

I have a brother who is on SSI disability and I did a lot of research and just found out that he is eligible to have the band surgery thru Medicare..........he is so excited (has watched my success to date and didn't think he'd be able to do it because of the cost) and is going to a seminar on the 20th and his new medicare insurance will start the 1st of the year...........so hopefully he'll be able to join us in bandland soon. His weight is close to 400 lbs - he is 61, has had heart bypass surgery, a stint, diabetes....lots more.............so, I pray that he will be able to have this sort of "last chance"........will keep you up to date.

[bluehill 0]

Betty, that's awfully good news about your brother! Given his multiple medical problems, including extreme obesity, the LapBand could be a lifesaver. And how fortunate he is to have a banded sister to lead the way and cheer him on! (And her online friends as well...)

In my case, the band has resolved ALL medical issues, and I no longer take ANY meds. That includes for cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes.

Wow, you're quite the gal on the go! I've been meaning to tell you that I visited your fair city (Portland) in 2004 for the World Figure Skating Championships, and I was very impressed. I think Portland is quite an extraordinary city. Environmentally conscious, socially aware, Enlightened. Now I have a reason to return as well, since my niece has moved there with her husband & kids, exchanging a buffalo ranch in northern Alberta for the Pacific Northwest. So far they love it!

[guysis 0]

Bluehill - you also have a new exercise buddy here in Portland.............double reason to come visit! Yes, we love living here because of all the reasons you stated, plus...........it's so beautiful here, plus we love the seasons (did not have that in So. Calif) - of course did not have the rain there..................., then again the reason for all the pretty green stuff............plus, we have our kids and 5 of our 8 grandkids here..................such a lovely city,, plus,,,,,,,plus............and it gives us a good reason to go back to visit family and friends from So. Calif often (we moved here from the San Diego area 9 years ago to be near most of our kids and grandkids).

I also am off all meds - isn't it great?

[Ceparano 0]

Congratulations Julie, you'll soon pass me!

Kat: I'm sorry your not feeling well.

Boo: Be careful you don't have a relapse.

Betty: I hope things work out for your brother; you will be a tremendous help to him with his weight loss.

Bluehill: Sounds like a great plan for the new year.

Susan: How is your daughter? I haven't heard from you in a while and was wondering how you are doing.

Roberta

[JulieNYC 4]

Betty, I'm so happy for your brother! I hope he gets a surgery date soon and joins us here on LBT.

I worked out with my trainer today and she didn't let me stop for an hour and fifty-two minutes!! Insane. She didn't see me last week and I guess she was making up for it. Anyway, I'm beat.

I'm headed to Chicago in the morning to see friends for the holidays. Don't know why I'd head somewhere COLDER than New York, but I am. I'm hoping the seatbelt fits on the plane. I still carry an extender just in case, but I haven't needed it on the last 4 or so flights. This is a small plane and their belts are usually shorter, so if it fits, I might just turn my extender in!

Anyway, I'm headed to bed early as my flight is at the crack of dawn....I hope to work out while I'm away, but if I can't, that's why I worked out 8 days in a row -- to get a head start on December because I've got a lot of travel this month.

Happy weekend and thanks to all for your sweet comments about my new weight decade.

Take care,

[Kat817 19]

AAARRRGGGHHH I just typed up a long post catching up with all of you and it just poof went away! Damn computer---could not be the operator!!!

Anyway shortened version---

Betty--I am VERY happy for your brother!!!

You are ALL doing so good!!!

Still sick here, so is DH---he has cough Syrup with codeine, which is helping him, but I am allergic to codeine---so I hack, all day. all night.....have coughed to the point of gagging and throwing up twice, I hate it and it is scary---but can't just quit. I have a prescription pill for coughing---not helping. It is something called Tessalon Pearls. Little clear yellow bead like pills. I actually think it helps some, just not enough. Worries me, so I have gone to liquids for the day....

I have finally been dropping some weight, jumped off the plateau I had been on. Maybe the liquid will help, but it is just as likely to stop it!!! For some reason when I drop below 1100 calores a day, I don't lose squat!

Well I am done with the little one for the week, so I am going to hit some Nyquil or something to help me sleep rather than cough all night.

Will be back to catch up with each of you...again....(secretly cussing computer still).

Keep up the good work everyone!

Time for a neb treatment....

Kat

[ghegamin 0]

It looks like I'm the only man in this post so let me represent properly. I too was banded 4/06/2006 and I've dropped 44lbs since. Good but not as good as I know it should be. This challenge is exaclty what I was looking for. Something or better yet someones to keep me accountable. However, since my lost of 44lbs I no longer need my CPAP and my kids don't wake me up in the middle of the day snoring. LOL. Count me in. I will start my challenge 2morrow.

Lately I've been eating a lot of the wrong stuff (high calorie items) and I've not worked out since September. I needed this motivation. I've also not lost any weight since Sept therefore its more than likely time for me to get another fill as well because of that and the fact that I'm always hungry now. Go figure!!!!

Count me in too ladies and whatever gents are out there.

Soon not to be Big George But Fit George

[guysis 0]

Welcome Fit George!

Julie have fun in the 'windy city'..........my daughter went to Northwestern (the medical school in downtown) - she's a Physical Therapist and we visited many times (she's actually going to be visiting NY from this Sunday thru Thurs - and we're watching the grandkiddies)............love that citiy............great restaurants - be careful (of course NY's rest's are not too shaby).

Kat - geez, get better soon! I just noticed what a kid you are to be a grammy - isn't it great (grammyhood)?

Do any of you out there live close enough (or want to fly in) to consider coming to a bandster week-end in the Seattle area. It's called the Seattle Splash and I hear it's a wonderful, inspiring (tons of bandsters from all over the place, speakers, dinner/dance, exercise sessions, etc)......it's the week-end of Feb 16th thru the 18th. Any takers? I'll be going (it's only a 2 hour drive for me).....................let me know if any interest. Info is on a Yahoo group - (SeattleSplash). We could also do something like this - you could fly into Portland (stay at this great "hotel" - Betty's place (we have a really nice guest room (with room for 3 or 4) and it's cheap - free -)!!!!!!! - I could include a "tour" of the beautiful Portland, OR area!!!!! Again, any takers???

December

1 - 1 hour NIA

2- 1 hour NIA

3 -

4 - 1 hour NIA/1 hour strength training

5 - walk back and forth to Breakfast approx 1 hour

6 - off to my 1 hour NIA class - talked 2 friends into joining my gym and so have partners in my NIA class

7 - 1 hour walk to breakfast (approx)

8 - 1 hour NIA (posted in advance - meeting friends so no excuses!)

9 - 1 hour NIA (on my way over to the gym!!!)

[Ceparano 0]

Hey George welcome!!!! I too need a fill because I'm finding myself very hungry just a few hours after eating. I'm also eating things I wouldn't have touched 5 months ago.

Kat: Several years ago my doctor gave those "little" pearls for my cough....didn't do a thing for me. I too was coughing until I started gaging. I hope the Nyquil works! Feel better.

Worked out on my Treadclimber 35 min., too cold out to go to Curves. I don't want my asthma to kick up anymore than it already is.

Roberta

[*susan* 1,709]

Hi everyone, it sounds like are challenge is going well this month. I am sorry so many seem under the weather, I love this time of year, yet hate that it is always accompanied by the "sickies".

My daughter ended up being out of school all week. For the first couple of days, her fever stayed around 102.5. She had strep throat and bronchitis. She is finally starting to feel better and is a bit annoyed with mom now because she wants to go outside and hang with her friends. But, it is pretty cold here and she stills has that hacky cough so I am making her continue to lie low this weekend and try and get the rest of it out of her system so she can go back to school on Monday. Thanks for the concern about her.

I don't know how you guys stand the cold weather where you live, lol. I am in Florida and it is 48 today and I am absolutely freezing.

Hi George, welcome to our challenge. Nice to have a man join us. Hope you don't mind hanging out with us girls, lol.

12/1: No exercise. 72 oz. Water

12/2: 40 minutes treadmill. 72 oz. Water.< /p>

12/3: 40 minutes treadmill. 72 oz. water.

12/4: No exercise. 48 oz. water.

12/5: 1 hour walk. 72 oz. water.

12/6: 40 minutes treadmill. 72 oz water.

12/7: No exercise. 60 oz. water.

12/8: 40 minutes treadmill. 72 oz. water.<!-- / message --><!-- sig --><!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

[bluehill 0]

Betty, I'd love to visit with you in Portland and drive up to the Seattle bandster weekend, but alas, I'm booked for a sun vacation in Arizona and a visit with my sister (an Alberta snowbird in Yuma).

Julie, I hope your Chicago trip was a blast, and I'm betting you no longer need a seatbelt extender. Hooray!

Omigod, Kat, your coughing sounds horrendous! Please feel better!

Welcome to the henhouse, George! Glad to see that you've decided to don your sneakers and join us gals. What will your exercise regimen be? (Mine is fitness classes, yoga, lap swim)

Roberta, I'm experiencinging the same problem, finding myself very hungry just a few hours after eating. In fact I just made an appointment for a fill. But not until January, cuz I don't want to risk restriction problems developing during this busy social season. And if my weight loss slows or stalls for a few weeks, I'll still be a winner -- socially, that is. heh

Susan, I had to laugh out loud when you said that you were "absolutely freezing" at 48 degrees in Florida! You have no idea, girl! Our New England temps got up to the low 30s today, and I thought the weather was perfect.

April Bandits December Challenge: FIVE days of exercise completed

[bluehill 0]

I have finally been dropping some weight, jumped off the plateau I had been on... For some reason when I drop below 1100 calores a day, I don't lose squat!

Kat, this reminds me of an interesting comment posted by a woman MD on another forum, a warning about eating too few calories and/or doing excessive exercise -- both with regard to preserving one's metabolic rate:

There are two ways to create a calorie deficit to burn fat: Exercise and eating less. The average woman has two considerations in this; that is, she can only metabolize a maximum of 2.5 pounds of stored fat in a week, and she needs a minimum of 1200 calories a day to sustain basic bodily functions. There's a pretty wide range of variations in these average maximums and minimums, depending upon age, height and musculature. Generally, a taller, younger woman will have a higher metabolic rate than a shorter woman or a woman of the same height but older and with less muscle.

The way the body reacts to any scenario that amounts to starvation is to preserve fat stores by first burning muscle for immediate energy needs. A starvation scenario can be triggered by too few calories or by too much exercise. Too few calories would be anything below 1200 for most women. Too much exercise would be that which creates a deficit too much below the 1200 calorie threshold.

No matter where you start out, that threshold is triggered on average, by anything that amounts to more than about one percent of body weight lost per week.The end result of burning muscle is reduced metabolism, and even slower fat loss.

If calories are not increased gradually and exercise does not continue, it can also lead to rapid re-gain.

On top of that, if you exercise at too high a heart rate, your body will not burn fat. It flips from aerobic (fat-burning) to anaerobic (sugar-burning). Runners who bonk do so because they are working at too high a heart rate, and have burnt off all of their blood sugar, and all of the glycogen stored in their muscles. Some try to compensate with sugar gels and energy drinks, but would not have needed any of it if they had just run at an aerobic pace. This happens commonly amoung distance runners, and it can take days for them to recover after a marathon. However, those who participate at an efficient aerobic pace can finish without experiencing any of it. Stu Mittleman writes about it, and how to avoid it, extensively in

Slow Burn.

He is himself an accomplished super-marathoner and trainer.

[*susan* 1,709]

Hey Julie, I'll race ya to the 220's! :biggrin1: Like you, I get so excited when I see the scale drop to a new number. Two weeks ago I was thrilled with finally getting in the 230's, now I really want the 220's in a major way.