Lucky # Sevens- July 07 Bandsters

[allaboutmefl 0]

I made it! A whole pound lost yesterday bringing me to.......wait for it.....149 pounds! I can't believe it! I'm thrilled! I'm in 8-10-12 dresses and 12 slacks and jeans as I've got hips! Always have, always will!

Congratulations Brandy! Yeah... The 140's. I would be smiling all day. Way to go!:scared2:

[salsa1877 10]

I orginally had my goal weight at 170 - then moved it to 160 - I think that when I fit a size 10 all the time and not just a fluke like now that will be my goal - there is no way i am going for 145

So you really got me thinking last night. I have been to the point in the last few weeks (since my scale has not moved) that I should pick a goal size and call it at that. My goal was 150, but even at that I am going to be overweight by the BMI charts. However I am such a numbers person that I don't know if I would be satisified with stopping at whatever number my scale says I am. I have gotten rid of the scale so I won't know what I weigh until March 9. I guess I could really start thinking about this then. Originally my clothing size goal was a size 10, but I am there NOW.:scared2: All 6 pairs of pants that I bought this weekend were a size 10. I still am in amazement. I think you said that you wanted to wear your pants inside out to show the world. I almost (by accident) :laugh:left the little sticker on my pants today that said the size. I wouldn't have minded it one bit. I am thinking that maybe that a size 8 would be good, but then the little doubts come creeping back into my head. :wink2: Why shouldn't I be able to lose those last 24 pounds? But really no one sees what the damn scale says except me! I seriously need therapy. Here is my real problem. I want to go to maintanance soon because I am happy with the way that I look dressed. (Undressed :eek: whole other story!) But at the same time, I am afraid of maintanance because I have never been there. I don't want to end up gaining weight and settling up a size. Have I confused everyone now?:confused2: I don't know what would change if I went to maintenance. I would still workout at least an hour a day and I would pretty much eat the same thing, so I don't know what I would do differently. Maybe I would stop worrying so much????

I don't know. I need help and who better to turn to than my family...YOU!:wub::tt1:

[peaches9 3]

So you really got me thinking last night. I have been to the point in the last few weeks (since my scale has not moved) that I should pick a goal size and call it at that. My goal was 150, but even at that I am going to be overweight by the BMI charts. However I am such a numbers person that I don't know if I would be satisified with stopping at whatever number my scale says I am. I have gotten rid of the scale so I won't know what I weigh until March 9. I guess I could really start thinking about this then. Originally my clothing size goal was a size 10, but I am there NOW.:scared2: All 6 pairs of pants that I bought this weekend were a size 10. I still am in amazement. I think you said that you wanted to wear your pants inside out to show the world. I almost (by accident) :laugh:left the little sticker on my pants today that said the size. I wouldn't have minded it one bit. I am thinking that maybe that a size 8 would be good, but then the little doubts come creeping back into my head. :wub: Why shouldn't I be able to lose those last 24 pounds? But really no one sees what the damn scale says except me! I seriously need therapy. Here is my real problem. I want to go to maintanance soon because I am happy with the way that I look dressed. (Undressed :eek: whole other story!) But at the same time, I am afraid of maintanance because I have never been there. I don't want to end up gaining weight and settling up a size. Have I confused everyone now?:confused2: I don't know what would change if I went to maintenance. I would still workout at least an hour a day and I would pretty much eat the same thing, so I don't know what I would do differently. Maybe I would stop worrying so much????

I don't know. I need help and who better to turn to than my family...YOU!:tt1::eek:

Part of me is jealous, caus I'd love to be considering maintenance....

I think it is fear of the unknown that is getting to you. We all know how to lose weight (ha, we've done it so many time before :wink2:) but being at GOAL weight? Well now that quite another story. Excersise is an awesome way to manage your goal, I once was on WW and got to goal and their mtce plan was to add back 100 cals per day for 1 week, then weight yourself, if the same # then add 50 more cals per day for one week. then again monitor your weight.

You will probably only need 200 cals more per day to maintain... depending on how active you are...

You are any crazier than the rest of us, trust me... some of us are Card Carrying Members of the Out to lunch Bunch, some of us are just trying REALLY hard ....LOL

Just hang in there, we loveyou just the way you are :tt1:

[phyllser 3]

I think it is fear of the unknown that is getting to you. We all know how to lose weight (ha, we've done it so many time before :scared2:) but being at GOAL weight? Well now that quite another story.

You aren't any crazier than the rest of us, trust me... some of us are Card Carrying Members of the Out to lunch Bunch, some of us are just trying REALLY hard ....LOL

Just hang in there, we loveyou just the way you are :wink2:

Yep, I sure agree with that. Like as I see my sizes go down I'm already freaking about where will I shop when I'm out of the Plus sizes!!??? I'm so grateful for all of you... where here for each other and that will help us through the craziness!!

[Frustrated 1]

I'm probably afraid of maintenance as well. For all of my teen and adult life I was thinking about losing weight. The concept of keeping my weight the same is very foreign. I mean, am I supposed to get an unfill at some point? When is that point? If my goal weight differs from my doctor, will he not unfill me until HE'S satisfied? How do I eat? How do I exercise? What on earth will I do with myself with no restriction! :scared2:

It's scary. And unfortunately Kari I have no answers for you. I could probably add to your long list of questions though, lol. When I joined this group I was fortunate enough to have my surgery at the end of the month. So everyone else had already experienced what I was about to and I could gain knowledge from that. You might have to be our guinea pig. :wink2:

[salsa1877 10]

I guess I will sacrifice myself for the good of the group and become the lab rat! Actually I guess the fact that I have stopped weighing myself except for 1 times per month means that I am getting close to maintenance. I think what I really want to convince myself of is that I can stop being so paranoid all the time. Seriously I feel like I am waging a war on all fronts all the time and I need to relax about something or I am going to explode. So I have to decide if I am going to relax about money, school, or weight. At this point I think the one that I can give up the most control on and still be successful is the weight issue. Really I am happy right now about where I am, but I don't want to become complacent. I do have a VERY SMALL fill schedule for March 8 so I think whatever happens after that will be where I end up. I want to be done by the end of the school year. I want my summer to not be focused on losing weight for the first time since I remember. Well gotta get back to class.

[IndioGirl55 32]

Good Morning Gang

Karri - OMG there are alot of us who are are trash diggers - gotta messed it up or we could go back - We all have our issues you aren't alone - PLEASE NEVER THINK YOU ARE.. OK you worked off your food for the day plus 100 - I think that extra 100 was worth a free snack - nothing wrong with that - it's not all about just losing weight - but enjoying life too - even if it a 100 calorie snack - our Snacks before were 1000 calories - that more than half the battle right there.

I am right there with you on the whole maintain issue - I have NEVER gotten to goal even with WW - I too am like you I think I would be happy with 10's but think about 8's now - are we getting too wrapped up in this whole #'s issue - I am confused I don't know where I want to be - cuz no matter how much I lose - undressed OMG :scared2: well most of you have the same issues so you understand:eek:

Exercise will be the key to maintaining and I guess we can add more food to our diet like Peaches said - but I am afraid to do that - I have to have limits or I will over do it - but also I am on the tight end of my sweet spot - so I can't eat much - I can't eat fish rice & veggies like I use to. Last night maded grilled eggplant - fish & brown jasmine rice (very good better than reg brown rice) - well ate the veggies before actual dinner - barely got the fish down and 1/4 cup of rice. No snacks last night :biggrin2: - well did have OJ - but not eatiable food..

Peaches - thanks for the how to maintain - I am with Karri - I am afraid of that part the most - this is when were we have all failed in the past - we could get the weight off - but never keep it off. I sorta think our bodies will tell us when enough is enough - Happy weight..

Brandy - Congrats on the hitting the 140's ...

Well, I have started this at 7:45 this morning - but have had so many interuptions... So I am most likely missing someone - Love to you all will be back later - want to get this posted before you all wonder where i am:wink:

[kirajh 0]

Ladies, thanks for the warm welcome back! I have been on antipressants for years but am feeling the need for a higher dosage, or something different. Mental illness runs in my family big time so I'd better watch out.

Cece

Check with your doctor. I was on Paxil and suddenly it just stopped working. My doctor upped the dosage but if anything, I got more depressed. So he sent me to a Psychiatrist and he weaned me off Paxil and I'm now on Zoloft. MUCH BETTER. It took a couple months to do though. But it worked.

[Twilight 2]

Wow you guys. I leave for a couple of days and you guys go NUTS!!!! No wonder I'm addicted here. If I don't get my fix it takes me forever to get caught back up. Forgive this really long post but there is a ton I want to say.....

Peaches--I would LOVE the snow. Here it's just super cold. It got above zero again finally. I'm really dying to get back on my snowmobile. Last year I was pregnant for most of the season and too big to fit into my clothes the rest of it. Oh....and as for the m&m's. Yesterday on the way home I saw these chocolate skittles. Now...I had just gotten out of the fill office. I was JUST told that I had to not have anything but liquid for 24 hours. And yet, there I was, talking myself into skittles turning into liquid if I sucked on them. I blame the company, how do they combine the idea of m&ms AND skittles and expect me NOT to grab some. I held out though. Janet--the brownie batter.....OMG!!!! I almost frothed at the mouth thinking about it. I hope you enjoyed it for all of us so that we can live vicariously through you. Maybe we should all share taking one for the team..... Actually I was very proud of you for only mixing some up. I don't think I could have had that strength. Phyl -- Tell me more about this cottage cheese concoction with splenda and cinnamon. Is it good? The only way I ever eat cottage cheese is plain. Other suggestions? I might have to try it. On another note, I so hope your aunt is better. I'll keep you and her in my prayers.

Brandy--I remember 140. I was in high school. My friends kept telling me how to diet and take the extra pounds off. Oh to be there again.....AWESOME JOB!!! Man how our perspective changes. Enjoy it! Karri-- I love your list. I am going to print it out and put it on my fridge. You can keep me on track with that list. As for when you call it quits and being crazy about it....I think that maybe it's because we are all familiar to what has always happened in the past when we have quit losing. There has never been maintenance of any long standing. Whenever I QUIT losing...I STARTED gaining. The end of losing is really a scary time for a lot of us. That said, it doesn't have to be....and you can succeed at this. I agree, you have to let one thing lose focus in order to keep your sanity. You aren't crazy yet, but could be if you keep living in all this stress. Good luck

Okay....as for some of this other stuff that I don't remember who said what....

Sunlamps--do they work? My doc said I shouldn't waste my money even though my depression gets a lot worse in the winter. He suggested sitting for a half hour in the sun first thing in the morning before I do anything else.....like I have that kind of time. I leave before the sun comes up and get home often after it goes down. A half hour before I shower and get ready. Good luck with that I thought. However a sunlamp...I could keep it on my desk and soak it up all day.....but do they work???? Anyone with any experience?

Bras -- I have always taken mine on and off the same way I do my shirt. Over the head. I know...I don't untie my shoelaces either. I never could see below the "girls" so fastening in front was still tough...and the front fasteners always dug into a central mole I have. So....over my head.

now....onto me. I had my official weigh in yesterday. I'm not going to count my home weights since my scale is always a lot less than the docs. I'm keeping doc as official and just look at the difference from now to then....for reference. I lost 6.2 lbs this past month. I guess since thinking I had stood still all month, that's pretty positive. I am 1 lb away from 30 total since pre-op diet....so that's pretty exciting. I wish it would have been 12-15 pounds instead...but why be greedy? Aunt Flo came to visit this morning...so maybe it was actually a little more than 6.2....but I will stick with the docs number. Sometimes it seem like such a struggle for "just" 6 lbs. Anyways...I now have 6cc's in my 10cc band. The PA was surprised that that much went in without back pressure. I was wondering if that was a lot? I know it is all personal but I'm wondering how much more wiggle room I'm going to have. I seem to be creeping up there pretty fast. She did say that she would be surprised if I needed a fill next month. She wants to see me to talk about how I'm doing but thought I probably wouldn't need any adjusting. I don't know....I seem to be getting to the top of my fill level and have the rest of my life to survive.....what happens if I top out and still am not where I need to be?????

Okay....calm down...I know....

Next, before my fill we had a class. There is one every month and this month it was on exercise. Well, since I've been such a exerphobe I have a long ways to go....but I've been thinking about it. I had a treadmill that I never used. Lots of reasons but none of them good. I live in a small town with no health club available. The nearest is over 70 miles away. It is VERY cold here for at least Nov - early March. I've committed to getting some form of exercise 4 days a week minimum. I started walking and am now up to 2 miles in half an hour. Now comes the question.....would any of you recommend an elliptical trainer? I was looking at them....but they are expensive and after the treadmill fiasco I'm a little leary....but know that walking with a video is going to get old too. Suggestions? I just don't know what to do. A bike is cheaper but bothers my knee. The elliptical didn't when I was on it...or rather the more expensive ones didn't. DH says if I want one I can have one, but I'm the skinflint in the group. I don't want to buy something I may only use for a month. The salesman said, once I start, I'll love it....after the initial break-in period and he prefers it to treadmill because he can get his heart rate up and keep it there without killing himself like he does on a treadmill. But he's a salesman too. I am looking for guidance. Those of you who go to the gym, what is your preference and why? I wish I had that option because for the cost of one I could probably belong to a gym for 2-3 years.

Okay...I know that was rather long, but thanks for listening. Your insight is needed and appreciated. Anyone I missed, sorry, but it was a lot to keep track of. Have a great rest of the day guys. I'll check in later.

[Frustrated 1]

That's a pretty tough one because I think it's all down to personal preference. For me my choice is the treadmill most of the time. When I started this band journey it was all I could do. The elliptical was just too much for me physically. To make things more challenging on the treadmill I increased the speed and the incline. Right now I think I'm maxed out on both unless I want to start running. I hate running. I believe if you're going to stick with an exercise, it's got to be one you enjoy. Or at the very least, one you don't hate. The thought of running to get in shape would have me back to couch potato in no time.

This month though, I've started doing one or two workouts a week on the elliptical. It works me hard :tongue:. The beginner level is probably a lot harder of a workout than what I'm currently doing on the treadmill. And while I don't really enjoy it as much, I feel like I've worked harder and gotten more bang for my buck from it. I also don't hate it. I don't think I could use it as my only form of exercise right now though because I may lose interest in it if I have to continue to convince myself it's a good idea.

But what I absolutely can't do without while I'm exercising, no matter what it is I'm doing, is my iPod. It keeps my mind occupied because I sing along with the music while I'm sweating and puffing and the time goes a LOT more quickly. On the occasions when I've forgotten it, my workout seems to last forever! :mad:

I don't know if I'm helping you any with your decision though because I feel like my own choice would change at different points in this journey. Immediately after the band I would have gone for the treadmill no question at all. Right now I could go either way and still feel pretty good about my choice. As I lose more weight and I get more fit (omg, did I just say that? :tt2:) then I think I would want something a little more challenging, like the elliptical.

Is it at all possible to rent an elliptical for a period of time to see if you like it and/or if it's worth keeping?

[mango24 1]

Stephanie - Over the head? Gosh I always thought everyone just did it the same way. I like the Cottage cheese Doubles by Breakstone. You can get, blueberry, strawberry, pine, or rasp. My daughter loves the Ellip. I think it looks too much like climbing stairs, it looks like it would be rough on the knees.

Brandy - Great Job!! I wish I was there.

I made two appointments today. I can't figure out the hives on my own. I give up. This morning they were horrific. Appt. next Thurs.

I also made an appt. with Plastic Sur. I may get a breast reduction this summer.

[phyllser 3]

Phyl -- Tell me more about this cottage cheese concoction with splenda and cinnamon. Is it good? The only way I ever eat cottage cheese is plain. Other suggestions? I might have to try it. On another note, I so hope your aunt is better. I'll keep you and her in my prayers.

Steph,

When I was on WW I used to take a piece of toast, spread some cottage cheese on top and sprinkle with art. sweetener and cinnamon and stick it in the broiler for a short time... kind of like a low cal cheese danish. So I thought I'd add a little Splenda & cinnamon to my cottage cheese for my night time snack and it was good! Added a little bit of diced peaches... like about 1/2 of one of those little individual containers.

Another WW trick... I used both of these for breakfast... was toast, a few slices of canned peaches, a little cinnamon and some cheddar cheese & put it in the broiler until the cheese melts. Haven't done that in many years, but those two were favorite breakfasts for me on WW.

No update on my aunt today. She was to be in ICU for at least several days. Thanks for your prayers!

[IndioGirl55 32]

Steph

I am a treadmill girl - but again i am older and the elpitical is too hard on my knees (you are right Denise) it's like riding a bike standing up - I like the treadmill- I do like Ruby - I vary my speed and incline depending on the song on my ipod - In fact today the battery died at 2.5 miles - so i died too - i gotta have the music - it really helps especially when a good song like Chic La Freak - I know I am dating myself -- I have mostly fast songs but for the slower beat songs i just reduce my speed and increase the incline ...

Ruby - That would be a good business venture - renting fitness equipment ...

Mango - I am glad you are going to the doc for our hives - What size are your boobs that you are getting a reduction??

Gotta cut this short - gotta go w/GS be back later..

[cazulay 0]

Frustated and Janet- I am with you on the maintenance issue. I also don't have a clue on how to maintain weight. I had actually gone down to 181 and now am back up again to 185. Partly because I am so constipated ( sorry TMI :biggrin:), today I took 5 MOM tablets and still nothing. I don't know what to do. Have tried Benefiber too and nothing. I might have to ask my dr. for a prescription. But anyways no way I am getting an unfill., I can see how that would lead to big time weight re-gain. Boy, this is all such a great learning experience!

[BlueEyedBaby 0]

I agree why would someone act like a contorsonist just to put a stupid bra on..

:Dancing_chief::lol:ROFL, Well, I'm no contortionist but I have never put my bra on any way but to hook it from behind. I have never hooked it in the front and turned it around. Put arms in first, bend forward and settle "the girls" in and reach behind and hook. Simple :Dancing_wub:

Good Range of Motion exercise!!

AGREED!!!:biggrin:

Steph,

Here is a wonderfully sinful desert made with cottage cheese:

1-Lg. Box Fat-free Cottage Cheese

1-Reg. size Container sugar-free Cool Whip

1-Reg. size box sugar-free orange Jello (or other fruity flavor)

1-Lg can Mandrin oranges drained (or fruit cocktail or other favorite fruit)

Mix Cottage cheese and thawed Cool Whip, pour in powder Jello (do not "fix" jello just pour the powder in), and mix. Last drain fruit well (squish the liquid out well) and mix in. Put in refrig for a couple hours to let the jello melt and mix the flavor. Mmmmmm....this stuff is wonderful.

This is one of my favorite Desserts of all times.

That's it for me guys. It's 11:30 here and past my bedtime...see ya'll tomorrow :wink2: