I'm here to help...

[Charlene K 1]

Well - I think we are all in agreement - visiting - eating ;0) - little slots - little shopping - it will be a fun time...

Getting excited - 2 weeks from tomorrow we will all be in Vegas by now or headed there ;0)

I have 9 weeks till my Mayan Riveria Vacation.. Everyone has their passports - I can't wait..

For next get together - Can't be in July cuz that's my #7 month..

April or May in Florida - Ocean & Sun - or a curise out of Tx's that's pretty central - We are spread out so much.. What's in the middle ;0)

Oh May, we are going to Belize in April.....I think. After May you have to deal with hurricanes. I think the shortest cruise is four days to Cozumel. Maybe one leaves on a Thursday and returns on a Sunday or Monday morning. We will have to talk about it in Vegas.

[Great2BThin 5]

I thought hurricane season didn't start til June? At least that's why my parents always tell me in FL. Could do an Alaska cruise. LOL but that wouldn't be central. We'd have to make Janet show us how to zipline! LOL

You go first Janet and I'll follow! ha ha yeah right. LOL You are much braver than I am!

[Charlene K 1]

I thought hurricane season didn't start til June? At least that's why my parents always tell me in FL. Could do an Alaska cruise. LOL but that wouldn't be central. We'd have to make Janet show us how to zipline! LOL

You go first Janet and I'll follow! ha ha yeah right. LOL You are much braver than I am!

Yes, hurricane season is from June to November 15th. I saw a cruise on the 5th of May(399-interior) and 19th(419 interior). They were five day(thur-Mon) out of Galveston. There are some out of NO too.

[IndioGirl55 32]

I would love one out of NO as I want to go there - I would book a day a head so I could see NO

Hey Gwen where are you - you are the travel agent lo)

I would have an balcony cabin - since I smoke - so my other smoker gf could room w/me ;0)

Belize sounds great...

I went on a cruise 5/8/98 and it was pretty humid - April's a good month..

[Great2BThin 5]

Oh May, we are going to Belize in April.....I think. After May you have to deal with hurricanes. I think the shortest cruise is four days to Cozumel. Maybe one leaves on a Thursday and returns on a Sunday or Monday morning. We will have to talk about it in Vegas.

Short cruise????? Long cruise!!!! LOL How short? LOL can you tell I love to cruise??

I would love one out of NO as I want to go there - I would book a day a head so I could see NO

Hey Gwen where are you - you are the travel agent lo)

I would have an balcony cabin - since I smoke - so my other smoker gf could room w/me ;0)

Belize sounds great...

I went on a cruise 5/8/98 and it was pretty humid - April's a good month..

I'd love New Orleans too! I'd room with ya, smoker or not!

[IndioGirl55 32]

:thumbup:) I guess I know I'm loved :0) even though I still smoke :0)

I am pmsing today - even though I don't have pms anymore :0)

I texted the whole family (DS/DIL/GD/GS) - I Love you - this morning - DIL texts back love you 2 is everything alright - DS text back love you too - are you flying somewhere ;o)

DIL texted "we are always here for u even though u r not here u r the the center of the family - we love you very much.. - Wasnt that so sweet..

The grandkids texted back love you 2

I am so blessed to have you all in my life... I am blessed to be so loved..

See I am all mushie today... Laura - it's a good thing we aren't saying good by - or I would be hystrical -

Oh ya gang - when we say by on Sunday - I will be a big ole baby.... I may just slip away - I hate good byes...

Ok someone ck out cruise - My excuse is I am exercising too much in my free time :0)... So I don't have any ;0) at the gym :0)

[ladykcusa 1]

5 day cruise or longer would be great. I'm in.

Janet - I hate long good byes. Just make it a habit (for me) to say farewell, turn and leave.

Lori - glad hubby will be back home.

Arlene - baby picture always makes me smile too

[ljv52 2]

Hi all, just a fly by. I'll have to see what my DS has planned -- if he took the morning or the afternoon off to spend with me on Friday so I'll know what I'm doing that day. He's been so busy with a glass convention this week, I don't want to bug him. I should know more over the weekend. I do a lot of resorts and they will also let you change and use the pool while you wait to check in to the rooms too.

I see tons of shows in Vegas too, so I don't really want to do a show either unless it's free (we've paid some of DSD's bills since she was sick so I'm actually coming sorta broke anyway). So I'm all for visiting and swimming and stuff like that.

I'm a big crier too - OMG -- we'll all be messes.

Julie, glad you're back safe and sound.

Gotta run, busy today and still at work.

Linda

[IndioGirl55 32]

Good Evening Gang...

Well I'm home - dogs have had their treats - and Bella has pooped (outside) so have a few minutes without them wanting me for something.. lol - go from kids to dogs :0)..

No exercise tonite - hopefully catch up a little on t.v.

Did watch survivor last night - Sad that the Oldtimes lost but they did choose the right person to boot ;0) That chick would have gotten on my nerves... I would love to do survivor - but don't know if I could take the elements - plus they don't get enough food to have the energy to play the games - heck old timers need our Protein ;0)..

BF - Oscar Meyers deli ham & 2% cheese w/mustard.

lunch - 1 c one pot wonder

dinner - Fish - veggie - maybe some rice

snack - popcorn & sf ice cream or pt shake w/banana & peanut butter..

Linda - I got the family vacation coming up too - so not in the positition to spend tons either ;0)

Cruise really sounds great to me - I think it's perfect for a bunch of women - we can dance drink eat watch show hit the pool and tour all in one place...

[sndycnrd 1]

I want to thank all of you for making me feel so included in your group. Yes, I have the same food addiction and yes I still struggle with it. Janet hit it on the head with:

Sandy - Congrats on your loss and yes you have the same addiction as the rest of us - food - our bands helps us - but I really think it's all about the light bulb going off in our heads in the understanding that we have to exercise & eat healthy- which has happen to you - My trainer ask this question all the time - don't you think you could have done it w/o the band - ya - i would have lost some - don't know if I would be where I am now - I think knowing I had major surgery was my wake up call - and my band does stop me from over eating at times. I guess it's my constance reminder to be healthy.

The light bulb went off in my head when I found myself at 240 pounds taking 6 prescriptions. Those 6 medicines were my wake up call. I went into the lapband process and had promised myself that I would follow all of the instructions I was given. I read every book. I studied the Lapband rules on this website. I tried my best to eat only 1.5 cups of food at each meal. And then it happened - I lost weight. It came off steadily and I found myself at 200 pounds at the time I was scheduled for surgery.

I had set my goal at 160 which was an 80 pound loss. When I got to 200 I started thinking maybe I should wait, after all I had already reached the 50% weight loss that they tell you to expect with the band. I wavered back and forth about the surgery because if I didn’t have it when it was scheduled I was afraid I could not get insurance approval at my lower weight. I talked to the doctor and he told me that my insurance approval was good for one year and if I decided not to have the surgery in Feb I could call him within the year’s time and still be approved. So, I decided to wait.

I reached a plateau at 200 for a couple of months and then in April decided to hire a trainer. Best decision I ever made! Through exercising I have managed to drop another 10 pounds. Not a huge weight loss but a loss. My body looks like I have dropped 25 pounds because it has toned up. I have lost 4 inches off of each thigh! I feel wonderful and best of all I am off of 3 of the 6 prescriptions I was on last year. I am doing things now that I haven’t done in years.

I want to thank all of you. I would come here every night to read your stories and listen to your changing lives. I wanted that for me too.

As long as you don’t mind having an “unbanded” member I would love to join in the posting. I don’t know why but I felt ashamed that I didn’t go through with it. I am no longer ashamed, I am proud of my self.

:thumbup:

[IndioGirl55 32]

I want to thank all of you for making me feel so included in your group. Yes, I have the same food addiction and yes I still struggle with it. Janet hit it on the head with:

Sandy - Congrats on your loss and yes you have the same addiction as the rest of us - food - our bands helps us - but I really think it's all about the light bulb going off in our heads in the understanding that we have to exercise & eat healthy- which has happen to you - My trainer ask this question all the time - don't you think you could have done it w/o the band - ya - i would have lost some - don't know if I would be where I am now - I think knowing I had major surgery was my wake up call - and my band does stop me from over eating at times. I guess it's my constance reminder to be healthy.

The light bulb went off in my head when I found myself at 240 pounds taking 6 prescriptions. Those 6 medicines were my wake up call. I went into the LAP-BAND® process and had promised myself that I would follow all of the instructions I was given. I read every book. I studied the LAP-BAND® rules on this website. I tried my best to eat only 1.5 cups of food at each meal. And then it happened - I lost weight. It came off steadily and I found myself at 200 pounds at the time I was scheduled for surgery.

I had set my goal at 160 which was an 80 pound loss. When I got to 200 I started thinking maybe I should wait, after all I had already reached the 50% weight loss that they tell you to expect with the band. I wavered back and forth about the surgery because if I didn’t have it when it was scheduled I was afraid I could not get insurance approval at my lower weight. I talked to the doctor and he told me that my insurance approval was good for one year and if I decided not to have the surgery in Feb I could call him within the year’s time and still be approved. So, I decided to wait.

I reached a plateau at 200 for a couple of months and then in April decided to hire a trainer. Best decision I ever made! Through exercising I have managed to drop another 10 pounds. Not a huge weight loss but a loss. My body looks like I have dropped 25 pounds because it has toned up. I have lost 4 inches off of each thigh! I feel wonderful and best of all I am off of 3 of the 6 prescriptions I was on last year. I am doing things now that I haven’t done in years.

I want to thank all of you. I would come here every night to read your stories and listen to your changing lives. I wanted that for me too.

As long as you don’t mind having an “unbanded” member I would love to join in the posting. I don’t know why but I felt ashamed that I didn’t go through with it. I am no longer ashamed, I am proud of my self.

:thumbup:

Sandy

Please know you are one of us even w/o a band ;0) - I would see you lurking and wondered why you weren't posting - I thought maybe you were struggling and didn't want to post ;0)

But you have surprise us all and I am very proud of you..

I truly believe it's all about having your "ah ha moment" Doesn't mean I don't want my band - I give it credit 25% credit for the weight loss - but I give myself 75% credit for making the lifestyle change.

IMHO this is why some pple don't succeed w/the band and they want to blame it - it's only a piece of plastic - it doesn't make your food choices or exercise for you.. Those 2 things are the major items needed to lose the weight - eating healthy and exercise..

My band stops me from eating 16 oz steak - but it doesn't stop me from eating 1/2 gal of ice cream - or a bag of candy. It's about my choices.

To nite I went my the grocery store to get some juice - I looked at diff things to eat - but you know what - it's not worth it - I can't eat the foods I use to that made me fat in the first place - band or no band.. So I just got some fish - veggie - sf ice cream and that's it..

You had your light blub moment pre surgery - I really didn't have mine till a couple of weeks after surgery - I came home from work - was tired (food tigger for me) I was on mushies - oh what to eat - oh I can make white/cream gravy over mashed potatoes - it's a mushie - so I was frying bacon in the pan to make the gravy - I looked at that bacon frying - I said "Janet did you just have major surgery to continue to eat this way" - Answer was NO - so I threw it out and just had the mashed potatoes (made w/skim milk for the pt) and that was it... That was my ah ha moment..

Now the reinforcement is the way I feel - I am the person who I always thought I was under all that fat - I feel so much better - I have so much more energy - I don't ever want to go back to where I was... I am thankful for my band and I love it - it helped me get to where I am today - but that's it - it helped but I'm the one who did the majority of the work..

So post away - We are here for you ;0)

[sndycnrd 1]

I give the band credit too, even though I don't have one. It was the process. When I was going through my 3 month supervised diet I thought to myself "what a waste, but I will do it because I have to". Now I realize it was a blessing in disguise. I learned so much going through the process.

I think the best thing I learned is that I cannot succeed at a diet. The doctor told me not to change my diet, just cut it in half. Oh my gosh, what a concept. I could still eat all of the foods I loved. I didn't have to live on chicken and salad. What worked for me was taking half of my normal portion. I did not weigh or measure, I just estimated half. Now that I am down to 190 I will probably have to start weighing and measuring as I am at a standstill. The good news is that I haven't gained any back.

I have my head screwed on right now, I will get it.

Edited September 17, 2010 by sndycnrd

[IndioGirl55 32]

I give the band credit too, even though I don't have one. It was the process. When I was going through my 3 month supervised diet I thought to myself "what a waste, but I will do it because I have to". Now I realise it was a blessing in desguise. I learned so much going through the process.

I think the best thing I learned is that I cannot succed at a diet. The doctor told me not to change my diet, just cut it in half. Oh my gosh, what a concept. I could still eat all of the foods I loved. I didn't have to live on chicken and salad. What worked for me was taking half of my normal porton. I did not weigh or measure, I just estimated half. Now that I am down to 190 I will probalby have to start weighing and measuring as I am at a standstill. The good news is that I haven't gained any back.

I have my head screwed on right now, I will get it.

Congrats for hitting ONDERLAND ;0) !!!

I agree no dieting - just eat healthy... And you like me love your trainer - I still have mine after 2 yrs ;0)

[sndycnrd 1]

Congrats for hitting ONDERLAND ;0) !!!

I agree no dieting - just eat healthy... And you like me love your trainer - I still have mine after 2 yrs ;0)

I love my trainer. She has me doing things I thought were impossible. I meet with her 2 times a week and go on my own another 2 times. I haven't felt this good since I was in my 20's.

[ocotillo 0]

Sandy, you are doing great....the band is only a tool and you are using the tool whether banded or not. Congratulations!

Boy am I tired. Worked until 6pm today and will be out in the morning doing field notes for a couple more jobs. The engineer who is taking my area will be going with me. She lives in this area too, so it will be convenient for her once she gets the hang of it.

I have a book from the library....I think I'm actually going to read tonight. Talk to you all later.

Oh by the way, I'll call the resort tomorrow and see what we can arrange. I'm really looking forward to it. I'll probably be coming in on the 1st too then...it will be less of a rush for me. Can't wait.

Eva