TerriDoodle

I'm not sure. It could depend on the doctor. He proctored many of them, so if he knows them he might. If not, he could probably refer you to someone who can.

Morning Everyone! Jenn- What dog?? Did you get a new one? (brain like a sieve) Ok, so my little 'experiment' produced the expected results. Last week my exercise was WAY off...when I skipped 3 days at the gym, I lost 3 pounds! Then the rest of the week I went to the gym but didn't put in my usual effort, especially with the weights...and the 3# stayed gone. So my theory was that the glycogen (water) needed to repair muscles had left my body during that time. I was interested to see what would happen this week as I got back to my routine and really stepped up the weights. Sure enough...I've gained 2# so far which can't be explained by any radical difference in the way I'm eating. Bottom line: Strength training adds scale weight. Scale cannot be trusted as a measure of success. Training logs and measurements can. So there. Tracy - I love your new picture! You are precious! Denise - I can especially tell around your waist and tummy... You're doing it! Our perceptions are just so screwed up about ourselves. Judy - I'll be interested to see if you feel more restriction as the days progress...I did...and 'peaked' at about 10-14 days. Wierd, huh? How are you doing on the slowing down thing? Pamela - GOOD GIRL!!! Sometimes that's the only thing that works...at least until you lose your taste for junk food, which does happen over time. How long are you going to be gone?? You've had a fun summer, haven't you? Check ya'll later! Have a great day!

Any issues with reflux?? I'm just thinking some kind of irritation in your esophagus? Is it TOM? Have you tried going on fluids for 24-48 hours to see if that helps?

You are much younger than me and I think that matters a lot! But I would say that you should plan on 1 week away from your full-time job and two weeks away from your part time job where you're on your feet all the time. Even though you may 'feel okay'....you will become tired easily and rest is very important. Not to mention you won't be able to eat much and you will be feeling a little bit weak because of that. That's my $0.02!

The only foods you should really avoid are bread, Pasta, rice (they do tend to get stuck...and are empty calories for the most part), and sugar obviously. Alcohol because it, too, is high in calories. Carbonated drinks because the bubbles can be a problem. Caffeine because it stimulates hunger...but lots of people still drink coffee and tea anyway!! Other than that you can and should eat healthy foods that you enjoy. Everything you put into your mouth should have good nutritional vaue. You are eating so little, you have to make it count!

Maybe it means different things to different people, too. For me it means I can enjoy almost all foods, just not too much of them. I'm losing slowly but I'm not 'dieting' either. I try to make good choices into a lifelong habit. There is very little I can't eat but I am still losing weight, albeit slowly. To me, that's good restriction. I don't like stressing my stoma and band by PBing and/or sliming a lot...that makes me nervous. I'd rather do it my way. Some people use the bread test: If they can eat bread, they're not restricted enough!

Oh, and by the way...I just got back from the gym so I DID meet my July exercise goal ... 22 of 22 workouts. Whew! That was close!

Oooooo, Michelle....that would piss me off too!!! I think you should go to court...it's worth a shot. Reschedule the date and maybe the cop won't show up and they'll have to dismiss it. (at least that's the way it works here) One time I got a ticket that totally wasn't called for and I went to court. I was so frustrated when i explained it to the judge that I started tearing up!! The judge and the prosecutor (?) looked at each other and had to supress their laughter! That made me even MORE mad and frustrated! Oh well, whatever....he dismissed it!

Uh.... like what? LOL What all would you like me to do? Make contact with the group travel people at lasvegas.com? Get some info?

No, nothing happens when I click the 'journals' button.... I had my old journal marked as a 'favorite' on my home computer so I was able to get to it that way. The journals button doesn't work for me either here at home, or at work!

Well cool! I'm an Intermediate Level 3! My signature line has the specifics...but doing weights and cardio, 5x a week, 45 mins. minimum. I did meet my July goals...but just barely! Tracy -- I'll be watching youuuuuuuuuu. Hi Pammy!

PAMELA - Get that SHIT out of your house!!!!!!!

Here is my August Exercise Challenge -- I wanted to be more specific with my goals and this is way too long to put in a signature line! Wish me luck! Monday - Upper body + abs 2 of 4 (missed 1*) Wednesday - cardio (cycle & elliptical) 4 of 5 (Missed 1**) Thursday - Lower body + abs + cardio 3 of 5 Saturday - Full Body (no cardio, no abs) 3 of 4 Sunday - Swimming + Sauna 2 of 4 (missed 1) Tracking pool laps: 8/12 - 12 laps total, 6 at one time. 8/13 - 15 laps total, 10 at one time 8/16 - 22 laps total (begin HIIT: can only do 1.5 laps at HI; takes 4 easy laps to recover) *Quit smoking this day, quads are killing me from lunges and fighting an ear infection....just too tired and cranky...need rest) **Quads still hurting bad (wish I could take Advil!!) and huge attitude problem since quitting smoking. Not worried. I'll get back soon. Just need a rest. 8/29 Well, exercise has been almost a total loss this month because of quitting smoking which ruined my attitude, then a back injury from a bad masseuse. I'm trying real hard not to get too down on myself and friends here at LBT are helping so much. I guess I'll start over in September! What else can I do?! Here's a link to 4 month progress pictures: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f91/shrinking-violets-april-07-bandsters-29472/index274.html#post533397 QUIT smoking on August 19th. Lord help me to not gain weight!!! :pray: Major Revelation: Just because you CAN put away 1 to 1.5 cups of food, doesn't mean you SHOULD!! Let me clarify: I had gotten a SB frozen meal for lunch yesterday. I generally HATE any kind of frozen dinner but I was in a crunch. I nuked it when I got back to the office then ended up eating only about 1/2 of it....it was disgusting....and I injested about 150 calories worth of chicken and broccoli. I remained satisfied until 5:00! Ok, so what was my lesson here? 1) I don't need to feel the food backing up into my esophagus before I consider myself 'done eating'.[/color] 2) My instrux are to eat 1/2-3/4 cup of food at one sitting (regardless of if I feel 'full' or not) and that is what I need to do!!! (It's a RULE, dammit) Now, of course, this is totally contrary to the way I've trained myself to eat for the last 49 years and it will take a conscious effort to stop waiting for that full feeling and just follow the rule of 1/2 - 3/4 c of food. I simply need to stop overserving myself. If I am in a restaurant, I need to ask for the to-go box FIRST and load up the extra before I even begin my meal. 4th Fill on Aug. 22 - to 2.8cc's -- 8/29 - UNfill to 2.4cc Weight loss for August was about 2.5#. Bleh.

Here is my August Exercise Challenge -- I wanted to be more specific with my goals and this is way too long to put in a signature line! Wish me luck! Monday - Upper body + abs 2 of 4 (missed 1*) Wednesday - cardio (cycle & elliptical) 4 of 5 (Missed 1**) Thursday - Lower body + abs + cardio 3 of 5 Saturday - Full Body (no cardio, no abs) 3 of 4 Sunday - Swimming + Sauna 2 of 4 (missed 1) Tracking pool laps: 8/12 - 12 laps total, 6 at one time. 8/13 - 15 laps total, 10 at one time 8/16 - 22 laps total (begin HIIT: can only do 1.5 laps at HI; takes 4 easy laps to recover) *Quit smoking this day, quads are killing me from lunges and fighting an ear infection....just too tired and cranky...need rest) **Quads still hurting bad (wish I could take Advil!!) and huge attitude problem since quitting smoking. Not worried. I'll get back soon. Just need a rest. 8/29 Well, exercise has been almost a total loss this month because of quitting smoking which ruined my attitude, then a back injury from a bad masseuse. I'm trying real hard not to get too down on myself and friends here at LBT are helping so much. I guess I'll start over in September! What else can I do?! Here's a link to 4 month progress pictures: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f91/shrinking-violets-april-07-bandsters-29472/index274.html#post533397 QUIT smoking on August 19th. Lord help me to not gain weight!!! :pray: Major Revelation: Just because you CAN put away 1 to 1.5 cups of food, doesn't mean you SHOULD!! Let me clarify: I had gotten a SB frozen meal for lunch yesterday. I generally HATE any kind of frozen dinner but I was in a crunch. I nuked it when I got back to the office then ended up eating only about 1/2 of it....it was disgusting....and I injested about 150 calories worth of chicken and broccoli. I remained satisfied until 5:00! Ok, so what was my lesson here? 1) I don't need to feel the food backing up into my esophagus before I consider myself 'done eating'.[/color] 2) My instrux are to eat 1/2-3/4 cup of food at one sitting (regardless of if I feel 'full' or not) and that is what I need to do!!! (It's a RULE, dammit) Now, of course, this is totally contrary to the way I've trained myself to eat for the last 49 years and it will take a conscious effort to stop waiting for that full feeling and just follow the rule of 1/2 - 3/4 c of food. I simply need to stop overserving myself. If I am in a restaurant, I need to ask for the to-go box FIRST and load up the extra before I even begin my meal. 4th Fill on Aug. 22 - to 2.8cc's -- 8/29 - UNfill to 2.4cc Weight loss for August was about 2.5#. Bleh.

I just googled 'group travel Las Vegas' and got this link: Las Vegas Group Travel - Las Vegas Group Vacation Package | LasVegas.com LasVegas.com is a great website and I'll just bet they would have some great travel specialists that could help. The first question is: How Many Rooms? .... because that makes a difference in whether or not you can reserve a block and get discount prices. 20 rooms is usually the minimum as far as I know. They do have a number listed for <20 rooms as well. They can arrange meeting rooms, shows, tours, etc.

Sorry I can't meet you guys. Priorities, priorities!!

I would really like to post in my journal! How do I get there? :scales:

TracyKS - I see ya darlin'!! Good JOB!!! Now, will you be doing that most days during August??? Hmmmm???? REGARDING EXERCISE CHALLENGES! -- Laura has the right idea. Only set goals you KNOW you can achieve otherwise you set yourself up to fail. Failure is not a very good motivator! Success is!

Are you eating within 3 hours of bedtime?

A dear friend sent this to me and I immediately thought of the LBT Intimacy thread. Hope you find something of value here and that you see the 'fault' does not lie within you: One Monday, a patient told me about the sermon his priest had given the previous day. He asked his parishioners to imagine God paying a visit to the United States and consider where He would stay, what He would want to do and who He might want to visit. That interested me, and I began to imagine: where? - Helmsley Palace or Ramada Inn? what to do - Walt Disney World or the Grand Canyon? who to visit - Michael Jordan or Billy Graham? Then I wondered: would He call room service? carry his own luggage? be escorted by a band of angels? Which house of worship would He visit first? Later that day, I thought about it in a more serious, but different context. If God came to visit and chose to stay with you, would you welcome Him, or would you turn Him away? If you did invite Him in, how would you act? Would you walk on eggshells? Set rules for what time meals were served? Or would you behave with "company manners"? We’ve all heard that expression, but have you ever thought about what it means? Does it mean to refrain from saying what you really feel; or to behave in accordance with what is truly in your soul - to act freely and be vulnerable? That would probably depend on how you view God. Every individual seems to have a different concept of who and what God is. Each denomination has its own interpretation. But there is one characteristic that most faiths attribute to God: love. I have heard it said that "God is love". But, therein lies the problem. Many people find it difficult to let true love into their lives. They associate love with weakness, dependence and the relinquishment of power, and fear giving anyone that much control over them. Instead, they hide their emotions and mitigate expressions of love. Some people have difficulty accepting love. Unconsciously, they reject love by staying busy, being angry, worrying and closing their partner out. Some even pick fights before any potentially happy occasion. Many patients have described driving home, listening to romantic music and experiencing warm feelings toward their spouse, only to walk into their homes and become angry because dinner wasn’t ready or the house was a mess. Others have described what I call "sleep talk". While leaning over their sleeping child or spouse to kiss them goodnight, they feel emotions deeper than they ever realized they were capable of. However, in the light of day, the feelings are absent. These examples are unconscious attempts to establish distance from partners and find emotional safety in the estrangement they create. Unfortunately, their loved ones only see their actions, or lack of them. Their feelings are invisible to the eye. These patients pay a long-term price for their emotional security. They live life in loneliness and despair. Despite intellectual awareness to the contrary, they refuse to let anyone approach the emotional child within them, for fear that they will be hurt as they were in their youth. This picture is clear, when we see it in others. But, when we attempt to view our own behaviors, we often get caught up in the "facts", which we use to depreciate our partners. We think to ourselves "To hell with love. I want to hurt someone before they hurt me." Later, we berate ourselves for our deeds, but often it’s too late. We forget the times when our partner says "I love you". We disbelieve the words, question the motivations and deny our desire to respond to them. There is a solution. That is to see ourselves introspectively and allocate the time and effort to fight the survival instincts that cause us to protect ourselves, rather than risk being vulnerable. Only in that state can we say that we have invited God into our lives. Then, in His presence, we can ask "Is this the way I wish to act?" The answer will be obvious. Because, when we allow God to live within us, it is easier to act in the name of love and to demonstrate true "company manners".

I have noticed that when I drink 'heavily' -- which for me is 3-4 drinks in a night -- that I am much more prone to sliming/PB'ing the next day or two. I don't do that anymore!! Two is my limit!

If you are PBing every meal, you certainly ARE feeling restriction! It is hard to eat properly at Disneyland, isn't it? Seems like you're always in a hurry and people want you to hurry up so you can go on to the next thing. Also, your 'stress' level is increased. Probably not eating the right things either. Why don't you call your doctor and discuss it with his nurse? They might advise a slight unfill....at least for a while.

Forever I have sent my jeans to be dry cleaned so they wouldn't shrink. Now I'm washing and drying them with heat so that they WILL shrink and I can get another couple of weeks wear out of them! That's a first!

OK PEOPLE! Time to establish and commit to your August Exercise Challenge! What are your goals for this month?? And let us know...did you meet your July goals? Mine will be 22 sessions again, but I think I'm going to break it down for myself into weights, cardio, and swimming...I want to do more swimming. I have to give this a little thought, so I'll report back later.

I use swimming to mix up my cardio...I guess I swim 2-3x a month in the lap pool at my gym. Man those lanes are LOOONNNNGGGGG!! I swim 2 laps then 'rest' at the end of the lane with some water aerobics...2 more laps...then more aerobics, etc. I do enjoy it but I'm not very good at it. I think I'll go swimming tomorrow!