Tami_819

I was tender for about 2-3wks just from the surgery. Have to say though, depending on what exercising i do, those muscles still really bother me on some days. I had surgery late October 2010

That's awesome!! Congrats!

AWESOME!!!

It was three weeks before i could hit the elliptical another week before i started Zumba.( I was able to walk on the treadmill a little sooner.) I was sore at the port area & even now almost 3 months post op, depending on the exercise my port area still gets sore. Just depends on how much i work the ab muscles. I talked to my doc and he said to go as i feel comfortable but he's never had a port come unattached. I say, talk to your doc but you know your body best. Take it slow & let it guide you.

Rowdee, congrats on the weight loss! If there is one thing i've learned within this group the last 3 months, it's that no one loses at the same rate, eats the same foods or the same amounts or exercises the same. That makes it very hard to compare your loss with anyone else. But you are losing and that's YOUR goal. Set up some goals for yourself, both big & small, and then accomplish them on your own pace. Do not worry about how you stack up to the rest of us. Keep up the great work, get your exercise in and keep making healthy choices!! Best of luck with your journey.

Tami checking in at 218.6 today!

I'm one of those that just could not not stand the taste of protein shakes, especially the Unjury one. ICK! It went right back for a refund. I do agree with doing a trial run of whatever you get before so you have time to swap them out if need be. I used the carnation s/f breakfast drinks for my protein. Thankfully i wasn't on the liquid diet very long & was able to add in scrambled eggs and i blended turkey sausage to nothing to add in for an omelet. I also had the s/f pops, jello, pudding, yogart and crystal light drinks. S/F hot chocolate is another good one especially for this time of the year. And ditto on the heating pad! It was a lifesaver for the gas pain.

Instead of a gym membership, do you have room at your place for one good piece of equipment that you love? I love the treadmill & elliptical. Now i had a treadmill for a while, but was really looking forward to an elliptical so i went to Dicks, opened a charge & as a promotion i was able to buy one at no interest for a year. It ended up being about $120 a month. Certainly beats a gym membership as it will always be mine & i can use it anytime i please without waiting. As for the diets, they are tough. As for the diet portion, if you are that far off track, perhaps set some mini goals to get back on. Maybe it's giving up one food that you've been eating that you know you shouldn't by replacing it with a healthy one. Then add another one & so forth. Best of luck with getting back into the routine.

That's awesome!! Congratulations!

That's great! Perhaps it was an active vacation? I lose weight when we go to Disney.....all the walking. LOVE IT!

I started my treadmill on week 3, elliptical full force 4th week, zumba the next after that.

No advice at all, but i sure hope you feel better soon!

Today is a new day. Start fresh & give yourself some mini goals. Will power for me comes from within. I want to be able to horse around with my boys and play sports with them. (ok, really i want to give my 13yr old 115lb wrestler a run for his money in the gym! LOL) I want to be able to make that 20 mile bike ride next summer without being the only whiner the last 2 miles, in fact we'd like to increase it this year. I want to look good in my pictures when we go out cross country this summer. More importantly, i want to be healthy. Try making yourself a list of the "why's" you needed this journey. Write it down, carry it with you....remember the long haul is something you really really want. We'll all off fall off now & then but the getting back up & learning how not to fall again makes those goals reachable. Best of luck with your journey!

You look GREAT!!!! Congrats on the weight loss!

Good for you! Glad you were able to find something that could make the evening out enjoyable. I find eating out isn't really a problem at all, you just have to do a little pre-planning and if it's spur of the moment, have your will power with you....lol

That's great! Glad you are enjoying it! I can't wait to be in a 38 to buy one of those! I'm now in a 44C from a 48DD so i'm getting there.

The menu for today was/is...breakfast was eggbeaters with turkey sausage & a wee bit of homefries, lunch was homemade fruit salad - going to be followed up by some leftover bbq shortly here, dinner is chicken & veggies. And it is DARN cold out this morning! LOL Tami

Tami checking in this cold Monday morning....221.2

In addition to what everyone else covered, do not forget that once you start exercising routinely you will be building muscle. We all know that weighs more than fat so there will be sometimes for the needle on the scale not moving either. Keep working hard. It will pay off.

Try not to get discouraged to quickly. From all my reading here, sometimes it takes a few fills to reach that restriction feeling that the band gives you. I've had two fills so far & i believe the last one will do the trick. In the meantime, try looking at your current diet. Making sure you are making the right choices will help you a great deal. If you can't go full force on the right choices, start with small steps eliminating one weakness at a time & cutting down portion sizes on the rest. You will get there. Are you using a food journal & counting calories? I know it's a pain in the butt, but that's really helped a lot of us. Also are you exercising? Hang in there.

You are going to do just fine! Be sure to keep us all updated!

YES! That particular Goodwill has an outlet Goodwill right beside it. Everything in there is 85 cents. How can you beat that? Even the hubby can't say anything...hehe

I think the reason my nutritionist stated no alcohol any more was more the empty calories than anything. Call yours and ask the specific reason to be sure. As for the carbonation, i was told to stay away due to the gas pain it can cause. Not a problem here as we don't drink much soda to begin with. Had a sip or two of the hubby's beer last month and i know i don't need that any more. Just didn't taste the same. As for wine & other alcoholic drinks, i think only you can know if those empty calories are worth it. Are you in control of your diet? Can you just have one socially now & then? If you can, then why not. Might mean an extra trip to the gym or a little pre-planning before the event with your diet. Realistically, i am one of those persons that believes if you forbid all empty calories, eventually you are going to want to cave just because you know you shouldn't. If I can do moderation and just sample something now & then, i'm good with that. However, if you know you are the type to fall off the wagon very quickly, then i would look long and hard before taking that step. You need to know your strengths and weaknesses. One of my weakness.....cream cheese fill cupcakes. I love them & can eat them like nothing. Of course my youngest has a birthday this week & wants those in cake form for his family party. NOT happening. So instead i'm making 24 cupcakes that morning & sending them into school with a note saying "throw extras away, do not send home!". Temptation avoided. For his family party he's getting homemade ice cream cake made from fat free cookies, fat free ice cream and fat free cool whip. They've NEVER known the difference & I can have a sliver & not feel guilty.

When we make dinner, my husband or i just make sure there's something on the menu for side dishes that everyone likes and we fill our plates accordingly. Now when we eat out it's a little different. I've crossed places like "Friendlys" off my list because after looking at their menu, it's really not just some place i can go & be happy about a choice i make. For my kids that means, GRANDMA gets to spoil them by taking them there & i've told her so! That's perfect for her cause it can be their "thing". Fast food...we didn't eat it much in the first place but now that's even harder because for me, fast food consist of Wendy's chili & a baked potato. If there's no Wendy's, I'll swing in somewhere for them, but i'll pass. Otherwise, i've looked at most menus of the restaurants we frequent & checked out their nutritional pages so i'm pretty on top of what i'll eat at those places.

While i'm just starting my journey, i would think that its a very personal choice to have a little "reward" now & then. I do not believe it will hurt IF you are in control of your eating habits & exercising and can maintain that control after wards. I've done very well with my own personal goals since my surgery & over the holidays, i allowed my self a sliver of pie here & a drink of wine there. Best choices? Maybe, maybe not depending on the person, but for me i still lost 2 pounds over Christmas and more since New Years. I did pay attention to my diet before & after those planned events and i was certain to make sure i got good workouts done too.