March Bandsters: MASTER THREAD

[mscathyl 0]

Fenton , when you decide to try snowboarding remember my son is a snowboard instructor at Mountain Creek in Vernon , NJ. Just hustling up some business for him .

[Fenton 3]

Amanda, if your case is in NYC, you might get to see ME testify! Then we'd have an awkward moment when you had to declare that you knew one of the witnesses, and then how you knew me!

Once, a defense attorney, trying to put me off my game, started his cross examination by asking me how much I weighed. It was pretty funny.

[Fenton 3]

K-Pod, I think that's going to be the hardest thing, that leaving a sense of ourselves as fat behind after we reach goal. It's like alcoholics are "recovering alcoholics" for the rest of their lives, so, what are we? We may not be physically overweight anymore, but I suspect we remain thin-people-trapped-in-a-fat-body-now-converted-to-a-normal-weight-one....

[Fenton 3]

Where is Vernon Creek, mscathy? I'm game if he is.

My friend tells me that since I"ll be spending a lot of time on my ass when starting out, I'd be better off learning in Colorado, but I figure I'd rather spend my time on my ass in New Jersey so that I could be vertical and actually going downhill while vertical while in Colorado.

[mscathyl 0]

It's only 30 mins. away from me and maybe a hour from NYC.

[ajoneen 0]

Fenton the case is in Nassau. As it stands I "knew of" a few witnesses because my husband is retired from the NCPD. But since I don't really "know" them it was ok. It is going to kill me to not talk about it with everyone I know. I can never keep a secret (well the "inconfidence ones" I can), I am tormented at christmas not telling folks their gifts. I am not looking forward to the stuff you would testify about.

Regarding Mountain Creek in Vernon have you heard of google maps?

[lynnt1215 1]

exercise is for you, don't worry about others at the gym. be proud of yourself for getitng there and doing it.

I headed to the "Y" tonight by myself. my usual workout partner had other commottments. So off I went. on the treadmill, recumbant bike and did some of the arm equipment. Felt great. 6 months ago I would never have gone by myself.. or even gone!! and the feeling after the workout is just great/

[Patricia France 0]

Hi everyone. I desperately need some support! I have the worst nutritionist possible, and half the time she is never here anyway! I am in Vicenza Italy and my husband is military so she is literally the only nutritionist we have. I have only lost 35 pounds since being banded March 20th. For some reason I cannot lose weight anymore! I am always hungry and I just got a fill last month! I did a 5k the other day and I didnt lose anything then either. I am eating what I am supposed to but then I get so hungry afterwards that I just give up and eat something else that I am craving. Not like pieces of cake or anything but I will have a few chips or a few nuts. I am surprised that everything I have eaten goes down just fine, but in a way I wish it wouldnt! I have never PB'd or really thrown up from eating. I feel like I have stretched the band or something. When i wake up in the morning I can feel that its tight.....I am just stuck in a rut.....My husband isnt a big help either! He is always asking, want to go have chinese or do you want a glass of wine, Seriously STOP ASKING! Then he gets upset with me and says he doesnt know. BS. Sorry, if anyone has any suggestions on what I might be able to do....I would love to hear them! I guess I should get another fill. Oh yea I am trying to order the bodybugg system but being that we are overseas we might not be able to. I hope I can get it!!!!

Trisha

[k_podski 2]

Trisha- first off, congrats on 35lbs gone forever! I seem to be stuck in the same rut as you. I have been at -38lbs for almost 4 weeks now. I truly know how hard it is to wait for fills! I think I have been more hungry since my fill? I'm sure that because we have to eat more (to feel like we're not starving) it's helping to hold the scale steady. Try to remember that restriction is a process, and it may take a while to get there.. It's just keeping patient in the mean time:) It wouldn't hurt to call and ask for a fill? I'm not sure how your doc is about getting you in early, but it's worth a try!

Best of luck to you, and remember to keep your eye on the prize, you can do this!

Now if I can just take some of my own advice..lol

:)Kerri

[k_podski 2]

K-Pod, I think that's going to be the hardest thing, that leaving a sense of ourselves as fat behind after we reach goal. It's like alcoholics are "recovering alcoholics" for the rest of their lives, so, what are we? We may not be physically overweight anymore, but I suspect we remain thin-people-trapped-in-a-fat-body-now-converted-to-a-normal-weight-one....

You hit the nail on the head, Fenton.

I think this is a struggle a lot of people deal with. When I was younger and small-er I always saw myself as huge. I was never happy. I was never a "small" person, but looking back, 165-170ish didn't look bad on my 5' 3" wide frame. I was beautiful, and healthy looking. I am afraid that even as I lose weight, and get nearer to my goal I will still be unhappy. It's a vicious cycle.

I believe that society is mostly to blame. I was very disappointed in "Americas Next Top Model" last season (I think). The winner was a "plus size model" in a (gasp!) size 16?! Have you seen her?! She is beautiful, and maybe a bit thicker than the other anorexic-ish looking contestants, but by no means plus size.

I think this sends a horrible message to anyone who's ever struggled with their weight, never mind young, naive teens who will do whatever it takes to be the "norm", and not the occasional "plus sized" winning contestant.

Sorry.. Maybe this is a topic for "Rants and Raves" lol. As you can see, I am easily side tracked:)

Regardless, I think body image is a never ending battle, and if thin- bony looking bodies weren't the norm, and plastered all over t.v. and magazines, we could all be a little more content with our thick-er selves.

Fewwww... I'm done.

Sorry for the side bar convo with myself, I just had to get that out;)

~Kerri

[Fenton 3]

Wait - Trisha, WHAT YOU TALKING 'BOUT, WOMAN??? 35 pounds is a really EXCELLENT loss for, what, a 10 week period? I think you're losing weight faster than most of the gals here.

And if you can do a 5K, I suspect you're not one of the higher BMI folks here, so your weight is particularly impressive.

Secondly, what do you think you'll get from a nutritionist now? You know what's good to eat and what's bad to eat. You should have a good idea of your recommended Protein intake by now, and should be buying foods with an eye to getting that Protein in.

But really, you're doing a FANTASTIC job on your weight loss.

Your husband's behaviour is kind of worrying, though. Do you think he wants you to stay fat for any reason? Is he worried he'll lose you once you've completely trimmed down? Is he particularly drawn to large women? It's hard to believe that anyone is so ignorant of nutrition that they believe Chinese food is a good place to take someone who's watching their calories...

But whatever effect he's having on you, you're doing the right thing. Your weight loss is TREMENDOUS!

[Fenton 3]

Bear in mind that many of the weight loss numbers you see here (mine included) represent TOTAL weight loss - both loss since banding, and loss BEFORE banding. Really, 35 lbs is a huge accomplishment.

[Fenton 3]

K-Pod, I sympathize with a lot of what you said, but at the end of the day, I think it's a question of mindset.

If we spend our lives looking at other people, and comparing our snap judgements of them to ourselves, we're always going to end up dissapointed. There will ALWAYS be someone we can find who is thinner, prettier, smarter, richer, better at golf etc etc etc. What is key is how WE feel about ourselves.

Society punishes fat people for reasons that are probably fairly primal - I suspect it goes back to tribal living, where a fat person would have to have consumed more than their fair share of the food, and, being overweight and less active, would probably have contributed less in terms of labour to the survival of the tribe. I suspect that the stigma of obesity is pretty old (yes, I know taht there are/were societies where fat was valued as a sign of health, but the majority of images of beauty through the ages show thin people as beautiful).

It is, of course, cruel and unfair at some level. But the pain society inflicts on fat people can be useful - if fat people were cherished in our culture, how many of us would be here on this board?

[Fenton 3]

I have to say that, while I sympathize with the Fat Acceptance folk, and believe that a lot of what they have to say as advocates for people who have weight issues is useful (and, with a starting weight of almost 500 lbs, how could I not?), at the end of the day, I think that their message is potentially harmful.

While much of the immediate pain of being overweight comes from the issue of being less desirable, the fact is that fat people lead shortened lives that are filled with progressive illness and social withdrawal before their premature deaths. Being fat should no more be accepted than should having cancer - these are serious problems, which require us to become engaged in our lives and our health, and to take the sorts of actions that all of us here have taken.

[Fenton 3]

Now, being fat absolutely IS easier for men than for women - there is far less tolerance for overweight women than there is for hefty dudes - so you may feel I'm being unreasonable, but I have to say it again: I'm grateful for the social stigma of being overweight. Right now, I'm most concerned about saving my life, of living beyond 50. But as my weight comes down to safer levels, I'm going to rely on that social stigma to keep driving my loss.

If someone looks at me funny because I'm fat, inside, I'm going to thank them for that, because it's only more motivation for me. And at some level, I find myself almost wishing that women I've known hadn't loved me despite my weight; defusing that pain doesn't really help me to get where I need to be.

Edited June 17, 2008 by Fenton