Exercise Challenge! Go for the Gold!

[DeltaDawn 0]

Julie, I hope you are feeling well.

Boo... your weight is great.

I am enjoying two weeks holidays with the kids and believing that I will get to goal!!!

I will run later today or tomorrow... its windy!!!! I thought a run on my 40th would be great!

Dawn

Banded April 4th, 2006

Montreal

358/154.6/148

[Boo 3]

I just came in from a run. The tour of Christmas lights sure makes it enchanting. January beckons me!

[guysis 0]

Julie, Happy to hear you're home! Feeling not too much pain - I hope?

Dawn - you are an unbelievable young woman - oh, to be 40 again!!! Happy BD to you!...............but, I'm still in my 60's for a couple of more years and I plan to enjoy every healthy minute!

Julie and Dawn - you will soon be at your weight goals.........remember it's just a couple of pounds on the scale...........YOU ARE THERE -you are both so amazing.

Boo - I want to take another walk with you in 2008.....we have to get the whole gang together some time - that would be so great.............you all will run and I'll waddle behind. Wish we could find some fitness retreat to all do together that is cheap!

My 3 lbs is still off - no more tho - I'm happy for now. Trying to keep this way till after all the festivities and kids visits................come on 2008...................

again

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY HEALTHY NEW YEAR!

[JulieNYC 4]

You do NOT waddle, Betty. Quit talking about my band mother that way!!

Anyone else sick of holiday eating? Christmas is great, but I'm ready for the food to be over. I'm getting a fill tomorrow (Dad's going to do it.)

[Boo 3]

Yes! I am SICK of holiday eating!! This year I have indulged a little bit. And I was so proud of myself to limit intake and keep my weight at 163. Well, that was until Christmas eve. A huge tower of goodies arrived which had all of my favorites covered in chocolate. Also, there seemed to be no restriction and my stomach and appetite felt endless.

Today, I am sick (just that yucky feeling) after two days of really indulging. The scale read 165 this morning.

SO, now I have to detox and get serious. There is no extra fill in the near future for me. I feel like the fill (1.4 in a 4.0 cc band) is manageable for my medication. I never PB and there is no pain. The rest of the weight loss will have to happen through sheer determination and the little bit of restriction I do have. If I can't break through, or if I start to gain, I will attempt another fill. The best level for me seemed to be about 2.0.

These two days have shown me that I can never let my guard down. chocolate covered caramels and fruits are like cryptonite at this point. The other issues are emotional. Holidays are so special and are filled with a lifetime of memories and expectations which can make me extremely vulnerable. So as much as I love Christmas and the music and the lights, the indulgences that have accompanied the holiday are very destructive.

On to a new year! Betty, yes, I wish we could go walking again. We will! I'll be up that way for many years to come, just not often enough.

Where are the most reasonable spas, anyway? We could probably create our own.

In about three months I will be flying out to NY. Julie, you will be SO recovered by then!! It is exciting!!!!

Dawn, enjoy these days with your kids. I can so relate. When the off times come, I really miss the early days of raising my children when I was primarily a mom, friend, volunteer, homemaker, neighborhood activity planner, etc. I love my job, but don't love the time away from my family and home.

Julie, don't you knit or quilt? That must bring out homey feelings.

Well, I'll try to update my running. I ran 4 miles last night, but felt SO sluggish!!

Good luck, my friends and let's have our best new year ever!!!

[DeltaDawn 0]

Okay, will someone please tell me that this is a blip and I will be okay? for the first time since I had the band, I really ate. Something went... oh well and I ate all Christmas, which is unlike me. I just ate. You guys know I have had only 1 fill, so my restriction is almost nothing... apparently I can eat an entire meal including dessert and still eat ALL my stocking goodies and then hover looking for more!!! OH MY!!

So of course the scales bounced up 4 lbs... there goes all the hard work I did to get down... but

I had a good 5 km run this morning. I begin training again on Sunday for a 30 km in the spring... did I tell you guys about that run?

I hope you are all great. I got a jersey, wrap dress for Christmas from my husband. It is from my favourite boutique that I only visit in the summer. I can't believe I got clothes for Christmas and it fits!!! I keep saying I will post pictures when I get to goal... We'll see.

Have a very Merry Christmas, holiday and new years!!!!

Dawn

Banded April 4th, 2006

Montreal

358/157/148

[JulieNYC 4]

Dawn,

It's ok that you ate. It was Christmas and it's behind you. You have a band and though I'm sure you won't need to, if you need a fill, you can get one. It was probably a one time thing and you've got it out of your system for a good long while. Don't give it another thought. With all your running, those calories won't be with you for long either. If you feel better, whenever I have a binge (not that I'm labeling you), I wind up losing to my lowest during the recovery. I don't know if that's because of repentance or because my body trusts it will eat again (aka starvation mode talk), but that is the way it works for me.

Boo, I can't wait for your trip to NYC! We are going to run together and it will be great. Are you in town the 6th by chance? I'm running a 1/2 in Central Park that day -- it's one that encourages walkers too, if you want to think about running or run/walking it. It's a women's race (those are the best) sponsored by More Magazine. Think about it!

I'm really tired and going to nap. My drains are still draining a lot and they'll be in another week at least. I didn't have drains this long with either prior surgery, much less twice this long. Urg...

[Boo 3]

Dawn, I'm sorry to say this, but your post was a huge relief for me. On Christmas day, my stomach just felt like a bottomless pit and I ate no meals, but the entire day! I trust Julie's perspective and that we can correct this and be even stronger. It is not just an isolated experience, the entire Christmas celebrating world is probably rubbing their stomachs and shaking their heads. We CAN recover! We just have to do it soon and not waste any time feeling remorseful.

Julie, I need to talk to you about my trip. Yes, I will be there on April 6th!!! (You were talking about April, right?) I have a late show the night before, but it cannot stop me from this great opportunity. I'll be staying at an apartment on Broadway and 66th? Right near Julliard. Maybe we can e-mail each other because I need to schedule my flights, and I just have to see you!! Hey, this will motivate me to step it up!!! You are gonna whiz right past me by mile 8 in your little size 0-2 red/pink running shorts-hahaha! What would I need to do to register?

Betty, Happy Hanukkah with your family. XOXO

Eficka, how are you?

Amourette, what are you up to?

[JulieNYC 4]

Email me any time you want, to talk about your trip, Boo. You know where to find me!

Here's a link to registration for the race, if you decide to do it....

NYRR

Well, I got a fill, but it's not enough. I'm getting another one tomorrow. I'm so sick of wanting to eat all the time. Arrrggg!!!! I hate, hate, hate that feeling. Have I mentioned how much new appreication I have for my band??!!

[JulieNYC 4]

Drains out, life is good!! I'm officially on the mend now....

[guysis 0]

Kids gone.........I'm alive and well (sort of)........my 3 lbs are back on...........darn holiday's and visitors!...............as soon as the kids left to go back to Sacramento (two big ones, 3 little ones and 2 more dogs) (along with the rest of the gang up her..............15 of us in all...........mostly all together for a week and mostly all here in our house..........madness!!!!!)......we had another sad happening in our family............my other daughter-in-law lost her Dad on New Year's Day...............so we've lost both in-laws in the past couple of months............very sad.........those kids are now back in Rhode Island and we have their little ones until Sunday......................so the best made plans are put off for a couple more days.................

I have to get back to a normal routine...........exercise and food intake! Those nasty resolutions are still here.............exercise and "diet"...............damn! (sorry). My band is working, I'm not............too much "poop" down the throat and not enough moving.............change, change, change coming up...................you know what..........nothing changes even with the band..................BUT IT WOULD BE 50 TIMES WORSE WITHOUT................THANK YOU BAND AND BAND BUDDIES!

HAPPY HEALTHY SKINNY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

[guysis 0]

Julie - happy to hear you're drain free and on the mend!

Boo...........me too, happy to hear you're all human just like me..............those darn goodies are going to haunt us forever.......but, never again will we let them get the best of us!

[Boo 3]

Ah, it is so good to read your post, Betty. Family time is just glorious, but then we must get back to our day-to-day routines that keep us sane and on track.

I just returned from a trip this week and am a bit of a mess. (Julie, I know you can appreciate this.) The flight home was the WORST I have ever experienced. It all started with the takeoff where the plane started to fishtail so severely I wondered if the pilot would brake. Once we were in the air the plane started to violently shake and drop. A dark panic came over me as I thought, "This is it!" People on the flight were screaming and swearing. But somehow we made it into the air! Then the rest of the flight was so turbulent that no one could get out of their seat. The pilot came on an hour into the flight to apologize and explain that they could not communicate with us during the flight and to expect more "bumps." We were flying into the storm. Before landing, we needed to circle LAX for 90 minutes. UGH!!!! The flight attendant even told me that it was one of the worst flights he had been on in years. He was scared and threw up.

Well, the good news is that I made it safely, physically. (AND I am still coming to NY, Julie!) During the ordeal, I kept repeating the strategies that I have learned to overcome my anxiety attacks on airplanes. Although I was able to hold it together on the plane, as soon as I stepped off I've been a wreck (not able to sleep, snapping at my husband, and spent all of yesterday eating candy)!??!

So darn it!! Now I REALLY need that spa weekend! Tonight I am not going to run in the rain, but will try to get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a gym day if it is still pouring.

I apologize for writing a scary post, but we share almost everything here, and now I fear my stress/terror has set me back. So NO MORE FEAR!!!

On a side note, has anyone read about the relationship of clutter to depression? Betty, I know you have no clutter in your home, so having 15 kids/dogs/etc, must be a bit trying. I am working to de-clutter my LIFE! The article shared that a woman organized her life/home and lost 50 pounds in the process. There were many comparisons of holding on to things to holding on to weight. My question is, how sentimental is everyone? Do we hold on to the past too much? It is an interesting idea, because I am very sentimental and loyal. It is difficult for me to part with friends, family, or reminders of the good in my life. But holding onto "things," supposedly, make stress instead of memories. I'm going to try letting go of more "things" in my life and in the process allow myself to let go of these last 20 pounds that are cluttering up my life and keeping me from my goal.

[DeltaDawn 0]

Boo, sorry about that flight. It sounds awful. I fly a lot (or at least I consider it a lot), about 15 flights or more a year. I fly in all types of planes including a small 10 seater. I am used to flying, but when it gets rocky I really hate it!! I have never had a flight that bad though. (I have had some doozies). God for you for dealing with it so well. Yo should be proud.

Well, after my Christmas mishap, I am back in swing and more than ever determined to get these last8 lbs off. You guys were all so supportive of me and my eating binge... thanks.

I had a great run on the weekend, in the cold.. -40 is just cold!!! I am working on my new training schedule. I am training for Around the Bay 30k Road Race, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (the oldest road race in North America!!) and then, I am thinking about doing the Ottawa Race Weekend : Home Page The Ottawa Ing Marathon at the end of May.

I hope you guys all had a great holiday. Best of all wishes for a grand new year.

Dawn

Banded April 4th, 2006

Montreal

358/156/148

[Boo 3]

Thanks, Dawn! I thought I was "cured" of my phobia. We'll see how the next flight goes.

Good luck on your races!