Cangel76

I had a single incision lap band procedure. I thought I had another infection, which left me out of commission for two weeks prior, so I went to the Doctor. GOOD NEWS>>>> I didn't and the Doctors scale said 199. I have officially made it there this afternoon. Now I know how finiky weight can be and that can go up, but I was so thrilled to land there today. My goal was to get there before my Birthday January , 2010. I don't have much restriction so much of my weight loss is the gym five days a week, pushing myself on the eliptical and really working hard. I am watching my portions and trying to keep fluids up. I feel hungry sometimes but not too often. I am down 35lbs since starting this proces, I am down 18lbs since surgery November 2, 2010. I can not say how wonderful it is. Just waiting for the inches to start melting off.

Welcome Brenda. I wish you the best of luck in this process. There are a lot of changes that come with being banded. With your PCOS you had an even larger uphill battle with getting the weight off once it is on. Congratulations with the lovely support you have from your husband and keep us posted on your progress.

Congratulations on starting this new journey. I am 34 with two kids so I understand the realization that the kids need you, not just today, but for a long period of their lives, even into adult hood. My fear also was the kids always having a fat mother who couldn't do anything with them. Your three hundred was probably like my 234 on my 5' frame. It was just too much and time for a change. I actually tried to get on Biggest Loser a few times but was afraid to leave my kids. So this was the next alternative, so here I am and I wish you the best of luck through the process of relearning food and how it relates to our bodies now.

Great job everyone! We all have to do the best we can adding the work out in. I work out every day and there are days I want to take a break but then I think, if I make an excuse for today, tomorrow will be even easier to make an excuse and the pattern will just continue. I have been going five days a week and I feel really good. I hope you are all feeling great when you work out too. Even if it is just walking!

I go to the gym 3 to 5 days a week, right now I am just on cardio, the eliptical but will be moving to weights this week.

Congratulations, for me it was sitting in the tub the other day with out my but sticking to both sides. I had wiggle room, I thought it was pretty cool.

When I was in the hospital it took me about 5 hours before I peed. I wish you the best of luck. The first time I went was such a small amount and then it was like every half an hour. Good luck, hope they don't have to cath you.

I got my band November 2, 2010, I have been doing my well as far as weight loss goes, the doctor is happy. The reason I am posting this is because the blasted Stomach Virus has struck. On a positive note, I only vomited once. Even that once though, my stomach hurts, it feels tender and I pulled a muscle on my right side. As long as I can still drink and the pain isn't terrible my doctor isn't worried. However, it's just ouch. Did anyone else have to deal with this? Did you stay on liquids for a day after?

My son came down with the stomach virus on Thursday. I was doing fine until last night. Luckily most of it is the rear end but I did vomit once. I can not imagine vomitting more than once, I am now sore where the band is. It kind of sucks. I am still able to drink so I don't think it is too swollen or slipped. I just want to say, it sucks. I was going to go to the gym today, but obviously that was out of the question. My daughter and father (whom is disabled and I take care of) are also sick. My daughter vomitted a few times and now she is feeling great. I am still sore though and my belly still doesn't feel right. UGH

I am sooo happy that my infection cleared so quickly. I got my first fill today, was sooo happy. 3CCs. So that being said, things are going okay. From the week I got the infection to my follow up last week I stayed at 207.8. Last week though I started at the gym. So from last week to this week I lost 4 lbs I am down to 203.8. As far as the jealousy topic.... I posted half joking, that I weight myself on Monday, Wed, and Friday at the gym. So that Tuesday and Thursdays I can have my splurge food. This girl kind of said that I must have some mental thing going on. Really? No, I have no mental thing going on. Having one chocolate covered cherry or one cup of ice tea as a treat is not a mental thing. Or two bites of ice cream. Seriously? I didn't loose 4lbs because I am eating crap and creating an unhealthy pattern of eating. If anything, I am giving myself days to have a bite of something I enjoyed that I now have on the back burner. The reason for this is because I can not have my calories too low or I start gaining. I never had a problem with food, I had to have the surgery due to medical reasons. I have always been a healthy eater to a point. Probably my guiltiest pleasure was fast food, that way I didn't have to cook. Now that being said, I didn't even ever finish anything I ordered. Do you think people tend to be jealous if you can eat stuff that they can't? Everyone is different in their body structures, everyones body reacts differently to food. Now that I have to eat smaller portions and now that my thyroid is under control, the weight is coming off fine and I can enjoy a small treats. Only days I allow it though are Tuesdays and Thursdays, how is that a "MENTAL" thing?

I cut the string exactly to what I was prior and now it is two inches down. I should do after photos today and see what if I can see the differance. Have a great day!

This morning when I woke up it isaid I was 199.8. I know there is no way I lost a pound in two days. But I appreciate it trying to cheer me on like that. Today the gym was 45 minutes on the eliptical, next Monday is weights with the trainer. Ouuu I dislike weights soooo much. I hate my arms hurting, I admit it, I would rather stay on the elipitical all day then hit the weights but I know it is a second part of my loosing weight and becoming healthier.

I think we all have different reasons for being here. Some people have eating issues. Some people, no matter what they do they gain weight or can't get it off. Some people have medical conditions that cause them to gain weight, or they are on certain meds that caused them to gain weight and they can't get it off. I think that it is important to not assume that everyone has eating issues. It is important to not assume everyone has a medical condition. For people who have eating issues, I have a friend going through this, the battle with food is constant and it's hard. It isn't anything that is easy and a surgery like this isn't going to solve the problem alone. Therapy and other follow up care is usually needed. My poor girlfriend who is struggling with eating issues is working hard to correct her relationship with food and decided that she is going to get surgery to help with the weight loss now. Her relationship is starting to turn around thanks to therapy and so she is planning on the surgery. I constantly offer her support and sometimes she lets me know what her food plans are for the day. For me, one of my guiltiest things is eating out. I put on most of my weight when I was in my 20's. I had money to burn and instead of cooking I ate out a lot. I had a gym membership when I had a good job and I lost a great deal of weight that I put on. I got pregnant with my son and things went down hill. The company I worked for closed, money became tight, I was a single mother so we were living off of Hot Dogs, Macaroni and cheese, corn and green beans. I had to make do with what I had. I began to put on a pound a week. My 130 frame ballooned with in a year. While I was working I started falling asleep at the wheel driving. Finally found out my thyroid was a mess, and that I needed meds. I took meds for a six months when an Endocronologist said, "stop the meds, you are soo young and it isn't that bad." Hoshimotos took over my body for the next 7 years, putting on weight, more and more, no matter how I ate I gained. I became pregnant with my daughter and was rushed over to a new Endo and they were concerned. The put me on meds right away for the babies health. I started to regulate again and lost 15lbs during pregnancy. I gave birth to my daughter and became depressed. I probably ate some things I shouldn't have. I put back on the 15lbs and decided enough is enough. I went back to the gym and altered my diet again, to meat and veggies. I had a personal trainer and I kept a strict food diary. I counted calories, fat, carbs and sugars. I worked hard at the gym 5 days a week and on saturday and Sunday would walk. I went back to the gym and was measured after a week I gained half a pound and my trainer assured me that I am probably just gaining muscle faster than loosing fat. I worked my muscles and cardio for 5 weeks. I went from 220 to 230. In my frustration I decided it didn't matter anymore and for six months fetl sorry for myself. I ate brownies and cookies and only put on 4lbs. I went to my OBGYN sobbing, sobbing my eyes out and said, "I just can't live like this anymore, what are my options." He was very sympathetic and he believed me, seeing other women fight with weight loss. "Once you put it on you can't get it off and sometimes it isn't even anything specific you do to put it on. You don't have to do one thing wrong to create this weight issue, you could do everything right." He suggested the band and I followed up with my primary, who also suggested the band. So here I am, finally loosing weight and feeling great. I have no desire to eat brownies anymore. My biggest love is chocolate and I only give myself two days that I can treat myself, sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I haven't had a fill up to this point so the hunger was making me crazy. We have chips, chocolate, cookies, etc in the house. The kids get cookies every couple of days as a snack so I thought, "what if I allow myself that same kind of limit." My kids are tall and thin, my son is ten and weighs 91 lbs and is all muscle, my daughter, tall, thin muscular girl. They are beautiful and people never think they are my kids. People assume if you are fat it is what you eat, that kills me. If it was just our dining habits I would have round kids too. My husband is heavy and admits his problem is with food. He loves food, loves the taste of food, I on the other hand could careless about food. I eat because I have to. I watch his family fill there plates to the brim, two or three times. It is crazy and it makes me sick to think about eating that much food. Anyway, that is all. I guess I am just tired of the assumptions of how people gain their weight. I am so tired of people judging us based on our weight. "Oh that person is over weight so they must be binging, or that person is over weight so they must be trying to heal themselves with food, that person is over weight so they must eat out all the time." It is funny, if you go out to eat when you are overweight people assume you must do this a lot. One of the things I do when I go out to eat is get a take out container right away and cut out just a small portion of the meal to eat. I have done this forever, a lady looked at me weird when I said, "it helps to reduce the calories I take in, out of site out of mind." Then she looked at me like I must eat it all on the way home or something. I then cut that 2/3s of the meal in half again and eat that at home as seperate meals, or my hubby eats it. I am not fat because I don't know how to eat or how to count calories. I don't use dressings, I have always used low fat mayo and less then the "amount" of the serving listed on the label. I could not do anything more than I had already done to loose this weight. I thought, fought and cried myself to sleep because I did not want to die in a few years because I am fat. I wanted to be able to chase my kids around on the beach or play in the yard. I did not want surgery, I wanted surgery even less than I wanted to be fat. I was sure I should be able to do this on my own and when I couldn't I was crushed. Before my thyroid and PCOS was really bad, Weight watchers worked. Now it didn't, before the gym and diet worked, now it didn't. Now it was time to find a solution that did and this is working. I just wish the world would stop judging, even those who suffer from obesity. We need to not only stop judging others and their journey, but we need to stop being so harsh on ourselves. So what if we only loose half a pound one week, it means we get back on track the next week, don't let guilt take you over. We all have off days, off weeks, but it doesn't mean we can't bring ourselves back around. I have studied addiction, I study psychology, I understand the process when the mind becomes our worst enemy, be it chemical or circumstantial. We must remember to love ourselves in order to heal our souls and forgive ourselves. Even if medical conditions got us here, at some point we gave up on ourselves and just started living life and not worrying about it. Like the problem would resolve itself. I am glad I waited this long, as I wasn't obese enough for surgery until about four years ago and then I ended up pregnant and back on hypothyroid meds. I thought that, coupled with excercise I would start loosing. When I didn't, this time, I didnt hit ground zero depression, I went to my doctors and asked what there was to help me. I am being proactive, and to me that is the best gift I can give myself and my family. My son said to me the other day, "Mom, pretty soon I will be able to wrap my arms tight around you, you are loosing weight and looking great." I looked at him and smiled he then said, "and even better you are feeling better, you are doing more and you smile a lot more. I am so happy you are my Mom." He is ten and he is one of the blessings I am fighting this fight for. My two and a half year old needs a Mommy for the next 16 years and I want to do my best to be here.

I think we all have different reasons for being here. Some people have eating issues. Some people, no matter what they do they gain weight or can't get it off. Some people have medical conditions that cause them to gain weight, or they are on certain meds that caused them to gain weight and they can't get it off. I think that it is important to not assume that everyone has eating issues. It is important to not assume everyone has a medical condition. For people who have eating issues, I have a friend going through this, the battle with food is constant and it's hard. It isn't anything that is easy and a surgery like this isn't going to solve the problem alone. Therapy and other follow up care is usually needed. My poor girlfriend who is struggling with eating issues is working hard to correct her relationship with food and decided that she is going to get surgery to help with the weight loss now. Her relationship is starting to turn around thanks to therapy and so she is planning on the surgery. I constantly offer her support and sometimes she lets me know what her food plans are for the day. For me, one of my guiltiest things is eating out. I put on most of my weight when I was in my 20's. I had money to burn and instead of cooking I ate out a lot. I had a gym membership when I had a good job and I lost a great deal of weight that I put on. I got pregnant with my son and things went down hill. The company I worked for closed, money became tight, I was a single mother so we were living off of Hot Dogs, Macaroni and cheese, corn and green beans. I had to make do with what I had. I began to put on a pound a week. My 130 frame ballooned with in a year. While I was working I started falling asleep at the wheel driving. Finally found out my thyroid was a mess, and that I needed meds. I took meds for a six months when an Endocronologist said, "stop the meds, you are soo young and it isn't that bad." Hoshimotos took over my body for the next 7 years, putting on weight, more and more, no matter how I ate I gained. I became pregnant with my daughter and was rushed over to a new Endo and they were concerned. The put me on meds right away for the babies health. I started to regulate again and lost 15lbs during pregnancy. I gave birth to my daughter and became depressed. I probably ate some things I shouldn't have. I put back on the 15lbs and decided enough is enough. I went back to the gym and altered my diet again, to meat and veggies. I had a personal trainer and I kept a strict food diary. I counted calories, fat, carbs and sugars. I worked hard at the gym 5 days a week and on saturday and Sunday would walk. I went back to the gym and was measured after a week I gained half a pound and my trainer assured me that I am probably just gaining muscle faster than loosing fat. I worked my muscles and cardio for 5 weeks. I went from 220 to 230. In my frustration I decided it didn't matter anymore and for six months fetl sorry for myself. I ate brownies and cookies and only put on 4lbs. I went to my OBGYN sobbing, sobbing my eyes out and said, "I just can't live like this anymore, what are my options." He was very sympathetic and he believed me, seeing other women fight with weight loss. "Once you put it on you can't get it off and sometimes it isn't even anything specific you do to put it on. You don't have to do one thing wrong to create this weight issue, you could do everything right." He suggested the band and I followed up with my primary, who also suggested the band. So here I am, finally loosing weight and feeling great. I have no desire to eat brownies anymore. My biggest love is chocolate and I only give myself two days that I can treat myself, sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I haven't had a fill up to this point so the hunger was making me crazy. We have chips, chocolate, cookies, etc in the house. The kids get cookies every couple of days as a snack so I thought, "what if I allow myself that same kind of limit." My kids are tall and thin, my son is ten and weighs 91 lbs and is all muscle, my daughter, tall, thin muscular girl. They are beautiful and people never think they are my kids. People assume if you are fat it is what you eat, that kills me. If it was just our dining habits I would have round kids too. My husband is heavy and admits his problem is with food. He loves food, loves the taste of food, I on the other hand could careless about food. I eat because I have to. I watch his family fill there plates to the brim, two or three times. It is crazy and it makes me sick to think about eating that much food. Anyway, that is all. I guess I am just tired of the assumptions of how people gain their weight. I am so tired of people judging us based on our weight. "Oh that person is over weight so they must be binging, or that person is over weight so they must be trying to heal themselves with food, that person is over weight so they must eat out all the time." It is funny, if you go out to eat when you are overweight people assume you must do this a lot. One of the things I do when I go out to eat is get a take out container right away and cut out just a small portion of the meal to eat. I have done this forever, a lady looked at me weird when I said, "it helps to reduce the calories I take in, out of site out of mind." Then she looked at me like I must eat it all on the way home or something. I then cut that 2/3s of the meal in half again and eat that at home as seperate meals, or my hubby eats it. I am not fat because I don't know how to eat or how to count calories. I don't use dressings, I have always used low fat mayo and less then the "amount" of the serving listed on the label. I could not do anything more than I had already done to loose this weight. I thought, fought and cried myself to sleep because I did not want to die in a few years because I am fat. I wanted to be able to chase my kids around on the beach or play in the yard. I did not want surgery, I wanted surgery even less than I wanted to be fat. I was sure I should be able to do this on my own and when I couldn't I was crushed. Before my thyroid and PCOS was really bad, Weight watchers worked. Now it didn't, before the gym and diet worked, now it didn't. Now it was time to find a solution that did and this is working. I just wish the world would stop judging, even those who suffer from obesity. We need to not only stop judging others and their journey, but we need to stop being so harsh on ourselves. So what if we only loose half a pound one week, it means we get back on track the next week, don't let guilt take you over. We all have off days, off weeks, but it doesn't mean we can't bring ourselves back around. I have studied addiction, I study psychology, I understand the process when the mind becomes our worst enemy, be it chemical or circumstantial. We must remember to love ourselves in order to heal our souls and forgive ourselves. Even if medical conditions got us here, at some point we gave up on ourselves and just started living life and not worrying about it. Like the problem would resolve itself. I am glad I waited this long, as I wasn't obese enough for surgery until about four years ago and then I ended up pregnant and back on hypothyroid meds. I thought that, coupled with excercise I would start loosing. When I didn't, this time, I didnt hit ground zero depression, I went to my doctors and asked what there was to help me. I am being proactive, and to me that is the best gift I can give myself and my family. My son said to me the other day, "Mom, pretty soon I will be able to wrap my arms tight around you, you are loosing weight and looking great." I looked at him and smiled he then said, "and even better you are feeling better, you are doing more and you smile a lot more. I am so happy you are my Mom." He is ten and he is one of the blessings I am fighting this fight for. My two and a half year old needs a Mommy for the next 16 years and I want to do my best to be here.

Oh TKW, I tried to drink Milk the other day, I too was craving it. Made me so incredibly sick. I have realized that dairy products give me tummy yuck. I am so happy that you can still have it. Enjoy.

I have talked to the nutritionist and had to see a therpaist. I was with a nutritionist for 6 months prior to getting surgery and then after. I also had to meet with a therapist before and after. Everyone saying that I must have some issue with food because I do little treats I became upset. I actually called the nutritionist and she said my thought process is healthy. If I can have a small treat, like a chocolate covered cherry and it makes me happy then I should go with it. The reason being is it is the holidays and we have sooo many temptations so to choose one here and there is healthy. To give myself only certain days for those treats are even better. I keep track of what I eat in a food journal and the nutritionist said that they say people with mental connections to food and my connection isn't to sweet. My connection was to fast food and that was just because of cooking. I just forget to take something out and end up getting fast food. I am working on changing that. I can't eat fast food anymore it makes me sick. Blech, maybe that is a mental thing but all the grease turns my stomach. When I first started this process I had prepared myself for no sugar in anything. I have already written off soda, though I only used to have ginger ale which is a lesser of the evils but still evil. I only drink water with maybe a 6oz cup of ice tea once a week to take my morning pills. My friends and family live around going out to eat, so I try to make smart choices and plan outings when I know I will feel hungry and ask to see the calorie/protein information for their meals. I order my meal off of that. This lady at our support group I was talking to told me, "I give myself a little treat twice a week. I work hard at loosing weight, I watch what I eat all the time, exercise, and I believe that a treat will not kill me." My nutritionist says that during the holidays especially, to have this mindset is healthy, it prevents a person from gorging themselves on stuff they shouldn't. We all have snacks, cookies, treats and the like in our houses this time of year so being smart about our choices saves us a lot of headache and heartache later. I agree, as far as my weight gain, did I have a part in it? Well, my only part was probably eating out too often. However, the thing to point out was that even prior to the six months with the nutritionist a year prior to this, I excercised, I ate all protein and vegtables, proper amounts, did not cheat at all, stayed away from sugar and sugary drinks. I kept a food journal and didn't lie at all, I was honest because I wanted to find out why this is going on. I went to the gym five days a week and gained weight, even working with a personal trainer. So in the end, my doctors and my OBGYN told me, "with PCOS it is hard to loose the weight and gaining is super easy." He said that I shouldn't blame myself for my weight if I am trying to loose and keep on gaining. My doctor said that I should consider getting the lap band, that people with PCOS and Hypothyroid benefit from it. The doctors, trainers and everyone else sees how "little" I was eating and how much effort I had been putting into my weight loss to only gain. I don't have a mental thing with food, I do have an issue with authority that I will readily admit. IF someones tells me I can't have something, I strive harder to get it. So I had that battle early on in this process. As in Buddhism, there is a Middle Way, you do not have to seek extremes to move forward towards goals. I eat healthy, have my treats on Tuesday and/or Thursdays, depending on schedules. Some weeks I don't have anything. I believe that some of this will go away when I feel fuller with the next few fills. Part of the problem in my mind is that at night I am hungry. Once that fades out a little I am sure I will get and once these holidays are gone the treats will be out of the house and I won't crave them anymore. People asked me what kind of cake I want for my birthday this coming January, honestly, nothing sounds good. The thought of cake kind of turns my stomach. I think I will ask for a carrot cake and just have a little piece with out the frosting. I have been using Splenda for cooking and baking. Even though I don't end up eating 9/10ths of what I make. I don't know, I think I am doing great. The people who know me best say I am doing great and agree with me about the food issues. I have a friend who is going to a therapist for food issues and we talk all the time. I see her struggles and honestly, I could go with out the treats. She says, "the difference is I couldn't. I would HAVE to have that treat every tuesday and thursday if I set days up like that, so for me that wouldn't be healthy. For you it is a guideline." Last night, which was Thursday, I had no treats. Last Tuesday I had a chocolate covered cherry because I was up all night with a sick baby and was craving something sweet. The last few nights up with her I had nothing. So I don't know, I guess I don't see it the way you guys do. I view it as having healthy guidelines and realizing that by setting up windows of days that I can treat myself works for me.

Okay Pre Operation weight was 234 Going into surgery was 217 As of today I am down to 203 I was banded November 2, 2010 and didn't have a fill until today. All together I have lost 31 pounds, the doctor is thrilled with it and I am too. My birthday is January 5th and I am aiming for Onederland. I just started going to the gym last week, I was stagnant at 207 while I had to deal with an infection. I went to the gym and bammo off came 4 lbs in a week. I am thrilled. So, that being said, I have no worries. I may not be loosing as fast as some or as slow as some. However, five weeks loosing 12 lbs, 4 lbs a week is not something I am going to cry over seeing as prior to banding I ate well, went to the gym daily and gained 2 lbs a week.

I wish I could tell you, I don't count calories, in fact my doctor doesn't want me too. So that being said, I was measuring my food until my first fill. Now he wants me to practice eating until I feel full. If my calories go too low I end up gaining way or staying the same weight. I would recommend not worrying about it if it is ONE day. If it is constantly, then you need to find a way to include some extra calories through a protein shake or something.

I went through it and had to add a week to the process. Once I started exercising and drinking lots of water things got better. Good luck

Hello everyone and welcome. Sorry I have been MIA, I hope everyone is doing well~

Only a week of schedule from my infection, not so bad. Guess what, I am hoping that my Doctors scale is as generous as my scale. Okay nothing is as generous as my scale because it says I am only 200lbs. The scale at the gym yesterday said 204.5. I check on Mon, Wed and Friday. Is Tuesday I usually have one bit of something bad for me. The Thursday, they are my splurge days, so I have a chocolate covered cherry, or a sip of a sugary drink, something small. I am trying not to deprive myself. I am happy to report that the eliptical machine has been working. So hoping the Doctors scale reflects my daily trips to the gym as mine at home does and the one at the gym does. I will let all you newbies know how the fill goes.

Thanks for the insight but I got the band because I wanted to still be able to enjoy certain foods. So for example, I always loved chocolate covered cherries. So if I feel like having one, I only allow myself to give into the craving the following day if it still exists. I have found a lot of healthy alternatives to things that I loved to eat and learned how to make them differently so they are low calorie, low sugar, and low fat. I was joking about allowing myself bad days on specific days. I do allow myself treats on occassion. My doctor and nutritionist know everything I eat and they said I am doing amazing. I appreciate your concern but the reason I gained all this weight was medical conditions not because I have trouble knowing what to eat or my limitations. I eat very healthy all the time and focus solely on my Proteins all day. So when I say I splurge it is foods in a very small quanitity. So it could be a chocolate covered cherry (1) or a the inside of pumpkin pie, one scoop. Nothing crazy. I have lost 4 lbs in one week with NO restriction as of yet. So I think I am doing okay.

I had my first fill, it was a little weird, but okay otherwise. Made me gassy. I am now trying to get down a protein shake. SO anyone who is following knows how aggrevated I was with the infection and delay in going to the gym. Well I took out my frustration on gym equipment for the last week. Last Thursday I was 207.8 and today I was 203.8. Four pounds in a week from living on the eliptical machine four days a week. I LOVE YOU ELIPTICAL EVEN IF MY MUSCLES hurt. Monday I have training on the weights. So things are looking up for me, finally. So my goal of being under 200lbs for my birthday looks much more attainable.

I have been gone, busy with school work and the gym. When I went to the doctors previously I was 207.8, then after the infection episode, a little over a week. I was still at 207.8. My scale said 205.5 but I will follow the doctors. At the gym last week I was 208 ish with them and now I am 206.5, so that is progress. I am just annoyed I am not loosing inches. I am still waiting on my first fill which will be Thursday December 9, 2010, so wish me luck with that. I knew this would be a slow journey, I just didn't think I would be at such a snails pace. I think that first huge initial weight loss gets you all excited and then when you are starving for three weeks and trying to eat well and then can't exercise, it is annoying. Now that I am exercising hopefully the weight will come off even though I can not do the weights quite yet. I wanted to be down under 200 lbs by my Birthday and just not sure that is going to happen. My birthday is January 5, 2010. Only like four weeks away.