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The Sweet Spot

A blog by Band_Groupie in General

  • Entries

    348

  • Comments

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    94,508

About this blog

THE SWEET SPOT My journal on my expedition to Bandlandia and my adventures there. I plan to stay forever (been to Onederland many times, but I never stayed long). Join me!:see

Entries in this blog

4/9/09 The Continuing Saga of a Woman and Her Bladder

DD found a ride home from college (saved me a 4-5 hour trip tonight, whew), so I’m back from the track meet and all packed for the trip tomorrow, so onto my day…   Stop reading if you don’t want to read about my incontinence issues, yes…again (it never ends). I went in this morning (after taking DS1 to get blood work and to school) to get my ultrasounds done for the incontinence Dr. (Urology Specialist). After drinking the prescribed 32 oz. plus some an hour before the appointment, I arrived 1

4/8/09 On The Road Again!

Well, we finally got everything straightened around, work schedules covered, and we're off Friday morning to Ohio (to see my family) for Easter and for the boys Spring Break (they don’t ever have a whole week here, it’s just a long weekend…where days disappear if we have snow days…crazy). I’ve decided since I’m not on a Dr’s. pre-op diet (just my own self imposed one) that I can swing being around the family without telling them about my surgery. I’m taking some of my shakes and I’ll just tell t

4/7/09 Bull Market

I started some shopping for pre and post Op yesterday and came home with bags full. I don’t have a pre-op diet, but I’ve decided to do a self-imposed one. I’m drinking protein shakes for breakfast and lunch and then a healthy high protein dinner. According to my NUT and surgeon I’m not supposed to drink protein shakes, EVER, as they are a slider food and go against the bandster rules of eating solid protein. I’m totally on board with that and actually love that their lifetime diet is exactly wha

4/3/09 Approved!!!!!!!

Woot! As if this week could get any better! Break out the champagne for everyone...oops, all you pre-banders (won't be drinking that after LB). I got my approval in about 48 hours! Highmark PPO Blue (BCBS of Western PA if anyone needs help with them). I couldn't believe Patti (insurance gal at the Surgeon's office) called me at 5:05pm...stayed late to call me, and get this she was laughing at my screams of glee and said 'You've been such a pleasure to work with!' (Does she remember me- the A

4/3/09 I'm a Bunny!

Hef finally called! I'm officially a Bunny! Me and about 150 other hardworking "Girls Next Door" just trying to get in shape. Yep, I'm a April '09 Bunny Bandster! Our April Group has about 150 members. Sorry, I said girls, because if they're any guys I haven't found them out yet, but I'm sure they're there (Hey, I think the Easter Bunny is a boy!)...not sure if the guys were part of the name vote or not LOL as I came in late. The Bunnies are multiplying daily...so if you're a Bunny, join u

4/2/09 The Nitty Gritty

Well, as you know, yesterday was one awesome day! I want to capture the details of what happened here (and there are some ‘points for learning’ for you newbies…if I didn’t scare you off yesterday). Let me unravel my story...(K)nitty gritty...unravel....moving right along.... First, my ‘many messages’ I left at the surgeon’s got through finally and I received a call Tuesday from Marlene (saying Patti was in clinicals all day). We went through my papers again and I asked again if the Pulmonary

4/1/09 I'm an April Fool!

Yes, it's frozen over. Have you seen my 6 mo. Diet Ticker lately? Well, I’m done! DONE I TELL YOU!!! The 6 months of dieting is so over!!!!!! Newbies, cover your ears just a sec….All you LBT’ers who posted that “The 6 months goes so fast!” I want you to know I have all your names and I learned how to Google Earth my way to your houses and yes, I’m letting this one slide, but if I find out this ‘restriction thing’ that you also posted about is yet another LBT Urban Legend I’m coming after you!!!

3/31/09 UPDATES: Track, Pipes, LB

OK, some updates for anyone who cares… TRACK: From my whinefest yesterday: Just as I was pulling on my long-johns yesterday for the 4 hour freezefest I got a call from DS2 saying it was cancelled as the other track team felt it was too cold (OK, someone agreed with me). Apparently it was NOT too cold for our team. Our coaches made the kids practice outside for 2 hours anyway and then they scheduled an impromptu away meet today. OK, I had already rescheduled Monday’s guitar lesson to Tuesday (

3/30/09 Out Like A Lion

OK, I realize it’s not quite the end of March but come on!!! Snow??!!! I’m in Pittsburgh, not flippin’ Fargo!!! (Ooops, sorry Fargo, I just heard on the news you’re having flooding, best wishes to Fargo). There’s snow flurries coming down and the wind is howling so fast that the wind chill is Frickincoldashell. I’m officially on strike until Spring shows up…I’m hibernating inside until it gets warmer…I’m so DONE with you Winter! Winter has forced me into being a bad mother. Let me preface this b

3/29/09 New Weight Loss Trials

Searching through WLS information I've run across several procedures I'd never heard of (VSG, DS). I'm sure you've heard that they are already doing single incision LB procedures (in through the belly button). Recently, I've heard of some new trials and have run in to people online who are participating in them; like TOGA. The procedure is incisionless and is done by going down the throat with a tool that opens like a book (that has staples sticking out of the pages), vacuums stomach tissue into

3/27/09 Do you measure up?

Does the sight of this lovelly belt send shivers down your spine? But it says 'You can add extra holes.' And look, I think it goes ALL the way out to 15"! Thinspiration? And for my metric friends, they have your size too... Hey, why stop there...let's place it around the hips! Quiz: What's the scariest part of this picture? A. The tape measure belt? B. The fact that this person has no belly button? (I'm guessing tummy tuck and they didn't want to pay the extra moohla for a new button?

3/26/09 Pipe Dreams

WARNING- If you don’t want to hear more about my incontinence problems…STOP READING…NO, REALLY…I’m going to pee on you!!…Alright, you’ve been warned. If you haven’t heard about my past issues I’ll sum it up by saying having three kids did my body in…I didn’t have migraines or osteoarthritis and I certainly wasn’t obese or incontinent until I had children. It’s all their fault…not buying it are you? Well, the incontinence IS probably from childbirth…that and genetics, Mom has had two incontinence

3/25/09 Get Your Head In The Game

You can play this music video as you're reading (not exactly soothing background music, but that's kinda the point)... (Oops, sorry it's just a link. It won't let me embed music anymore...I'm-tech challenged.)   Well I WAS a mere 3 pounds from being able to cut off another one of my Ten Pound Heads (on my WL ticker). I ate stuff I shouldn’t have on my long-weekend…I guess I was going through that ‘Last Supper Syndrome’. I know (at least this one was a conscious thought) I was saying goodb

3/24/09 Long Weekend

I had a busy long weekend...I remember when 'long weekend' meant I was taking a day or two off of work and relaxing or going somewhere fun...preferably somewhere with a cabana boy to bring me a drink...ahhh, no-longer. DH was out traveling again the end of last week. I picked up DD from college late on Thursday night for her job interview here on Monday, and we loaded some of her things to come home, so we got home really late. Friday we (DD and I- DH plane didn’t get back until really late) att

3/21/09 Weight Loss 'Tools'

Our great-grandmothers, grandmothers, and mothers were on to something...they were using 'tools' for weight loss long before the era of 10,000 diets became popular. Too bad their 'tools' weren't as successful as the LB!   GOT CANKLES? Newspaper clipping from 1924. I'll bet these were comfortable, and gee 'there's nothing to rub in or massage'. I wonder if blue feet were popular then? A DAY AT THE SPA SOUND GOOD? This photo from the 1960s shows French women sitting in "slim-down coverall

3/20/09 Spring Has Sprung!

7:44am EST…it’s official…Spring is HERE! Spring officially starts when the Sun strikes the Vernal Equinox, i.e., the time when the Sun strikes the Celestial Equator at 0º 0' 0"S declination for the Northern Hemisphere. Yes, I did the countdown…and it was more fun than New Year’s! We’re having record low’s today (of course); 26° right now and light snow flurries are coming down, but it’s all good. Even Mother Nature can’t keep Spring from arriving.   Yesterday we noticed our first crocuses blo

3/19/09 Party Hopping, shopping, mopping...never stopping...finally popping!

Yep, April will be my month this year. I’m sure it will all be a blurrrr.r.r.r.r..r..r..r. I’m party planning today. I’ve got to get moving on this as we’re all graduating soon…Me, to a new life with the LB hopefully near the middle of April; DD from college May 3, and DS1 from H.S. June 5. In between all these is DS1's 19th birthday May 15, and DH and my 27th Anniversary on April 24, and did I mention my 50th birthday is April 27 and DH’s 50th birthday is on April 28th; but we were actually

3/18/09 The Perfect Storm

DD is now down to her last 6 weeks of college and the stress is reaching an all time high. I’m getting calls from her several times a day…usually just to ‘unload’. She’s getting a double major and taking her hardest classes ever, she waitresses most evenings until late at night (and they have a new, mean, manager) and she’s been sending her resume out to everyone (and their brother) and is getting mostly rejections (like everyone graduating this Spring) but a few replies (but not anything close

3/17/09 Irish Eyes Are Smiling

The Irish say Everyone has a wee bit of Irish in them on St. Patrick’s Day. So being a wee bit Irish today I set off to find out about everything Irish.   Even the Obama’s are Irish today. Michelle and her leprechauns dyed the White House fountains green today. Pittsburgh's own Dan Rooney (owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers) was named Ambassador to Ireland today. It’s all about this guy… If you don’t wear green you’ll get pinched by everyone but your boss (sexual harassment and all that).

3/16/09 Carbs a la mode!

One thing about tracking your calories and nutrition...you find out what you're really eating...in my case, carbs. My little daily nutrition pie charts that pop up on FitDay have been showing one huge pink piece of carb pie! Now, I wish that pie chart would carve a huge hunk off for complex carbohydrates...not all carbs are bad after all. What about that apple I snacked on this afternoon? How about that steamed asparagus I ate at dinner? I can't help it though, I see that giant pink pie piece an

3/14/09 Cheap Motivation

Santa brought me an electronic Pedometer for Christmas…he’s good to me, that Santa. I haven’t really had a reason to use it until now (remember, the non weight loss issue). I got it out to start using it last week with the start of my actual dieting. DH helped me measure my stride and set it up (10-15 min.). It’s got a software component so we loaded that (you just put the CD in and push install). It was inexpensive, easy to set up and it is easy to use. It tracks your steps (and separates steps

3/13/09 Spring Fever

I'm the grumpy one in front.   I’m feeling blah today. I’m not sure what it is…the ‘Spring Ahead’ clock change this week, the lack of enough coffee (I’m sipping my last cup right now to make it last…it’s cold now), or maybe that it’s Friday the 13th. I do know I’m sick of Winter. Mother Nature was teasing me last weekend with that 70° high (mean woman!). It’s 23° right now and we might hit 50° this weekend…weeee. I feel like a hibernating bear right now. I’m a person who is affected by the wea

3/12/09 The Buzz about Coffee

I love my morning cuppa (and it loves me…see?)…so much so that I drink it up until 2pm (my cutoff for being able to function, yet also sleep at night). This week I started to cut back my caffeine consumption in preparation for surgery. I don’t drink any pop (or in other parts of the country, soda), so that’s not an issue. Coffee is the first of my ‘food friends’ (translation ‘evil food addictions’) I will be saying goodbye to, probably not permanently (I’ll confirm that at my pre-op class), but

3/11/09 I?m a Graduate

Today I graduated from PT. I’m feeling really good about it. Not just because I’m not in as much pain anymore, but even more so because I’ve completed something successfully and it worked. I needed that right now, more than you know. As you know I haven’t been having very good luck with health things being successful (respiratory problem for 12 weeks with many, many failed treatments; then hysterectomy/bladder sling surgeries failure, etc.) and I was beginning to wonder a little if the LB would

3/10/09 My Story and My ?Moment?

I have NO doubts about the LB, but some days I'm still amazed that I'm doing this. I think back to almost a year ago and where my head was at that point...I would never have even considered WLS (WAY too drastic…only people that are dying from obesity do that!). So here’s my story and my ‘moment’ of what brought me to the LB.   I don’t have any fat child stories to tell, because I wasn’t…fat. I did have two of my sisters who struggled with weight in childhood, and I saw their pain and sometimes

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